Evie groaned as she woke up in the dark room she saw in her dream with Graham again. "Oh, no... Not again..." she then whispered as her voice sounded very echo-y again.
"You came back..." Graham's voice said as he had his back to her again as he stood on the ledge of fire below him. "I didn't think you would... You coward..."
"Graham..." Evie frowned. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I couldn't help that."
"You probably could've if you gave me more of a chance... But you couldn't..." Graham replied. "I used to home-school you for a while when you were younger until I took the job as the sheriff of Storybrooke."
"I... I remember that..." Evie said softly. "Graham, please... Don't be mad at me, I'm not mad at you."
"I think you just very well might be," Graham retorted coldly as he approached the girl. "Just because you were the spoiled princess of Storybrooke since your mother was the Queen."
"I'm not spoiled..." Evie frowned as she stood up and stepped back away from Graham.
"Just because I wasn't your father," Graham continued a bit sternly. "I didn't want to replace your father and you just denounced me every chance you got and now I'm gone. How does that feel on your conscience?"
"Graham, please!" Evie cried out with tears in her eyes as the fire was starting to come back like it did in her last dream about this as she stepped back. "You know that you can trust me! I would never wanna hurt anyone, especially you and not even Mal!"
"I'm sorry, but you've angered both of us..." Graham replied as he slowly walked toward Evie, prompting the teenage girl to back away from him out of fear and sadness. "In fact... You've even angered Akela."
"Akela? Who's Akela?" Evie soon asked.
"So typical of you, Evie..." Graham taunted. "Be lost and alone in your own little world and not even letting yourself into others', such as your friend in school, Mal Draconis."
"Please, I already feel bad enough!" Evie cried out. "Just talk to me, Graham so that we can help each other!"
"There is no more talking to be had..." A voice snarled before in the deep darkness behind both Graham and Evie were two eyes: one red as blood and the other black as night, being just barely visible to both.
"Who said that...?" Evie whispered nervously.
Soon, what came into the light was a wolf with the eyes that Evie had just seen in the darkness.
"Eek!" Evie gasped and stepped back.
"Evie, this is my best friend and only family left after your mother killed me and you don't even care," Graham introduced in a cold and gloomy tone of voice. "Akela helped make me into the man I became back in The Enchanted Forest... The Huntsman... And then haunted by and snatched away from the comforts of home by your mother... The Evil Queen. How do you plead?"
"I... I..." Evie panted wearily and nervously.
"She is guilty as a jealous lion having his own brother slaughtered to take his rank as King of the Jungle!" Akela announced and growled.
"No!" Evie cried out as her heart began to ache. "I don't not care that Graham died! I didn't want this to happen!"
"It's too late for that, Evie," Graham glared before his eyes suddenly seemed to match the wolf's before he stepped over, standing only seven inches above the teenage girl, though he was towering over her as she felt very small right now. "You are Regina's daughter, cursed and doomed to be just like her, and now no one will help you!" he then seemed to reach deep into her chest, making her grunt and jolt suddenly.
Evie's eyes were very wide and her mouth was very dropped down wide. She looked a lot like a fish with a hook caught in its mouth only to be doomed once out of the comforts of home or support.
Eventually, Graham ripped out an inky black blob that was beating like a heart, though it seemed to be bearly bright enough to show any remaining goodness or even a sliver of hope to be redeemed. "Rotten to the core..." he then taunted Evie. "Like mother like daughter."
Soon, Akela snarled before rising from right behind and lunging right out to pounce and attack Evie with claws on his paws, ready to rip her to shreds if needed.
"Evie... Evie!" A voice soon called, sounding echo-y as everything suddenly turned black.
Evie grunted and groaned before her eyes slowly opened up as she could her ears ringing faintly as well as her heart pounding in her head and chest as a gentle, but firm voice was calling out to the girl. "What... What happened? Where am I?" she then asked wearily.
"Evie... There you are..." Regina said as she was shown and she looked down at her daughter who was lying down on one of the nurse's seats for comfort. "Evie, it's Mommy~"
"Oh... Hi, Mommy..." Evie said softly before she looked over as the blurred images she saw were slowly becoming more clear once she could see again. "I think I fainted while helping out Ginger."
"Yes... Your friends Jane and Carlos brought you to see the nurse," Regina nodded. "I believe they said something about that girl Dee Dee telling you something rather... Surprising?"
"Yeah... Henry's in the hospital," Evie then suddenly said once she came to. "I don't think he's hurt, but... We should go and see him right now."
"We'll wait until the nurse takes a look at you and you can stand back up," Regina soon said to Evie. "I don't want you to get dizzy or pass out again."
"Oh... Okay..." Evie then said with a nod as she looked over to see a cup of water was left for her, so she took it and decided to take a drink. "Did I let Ginger down? I promised I'd help her with the bake sale and that pie contest."
"The pie contest is going to be postponed, something suddenly came up it seems," Regina explained as softly as she could. "Don't worry though. Ginger isn't mad at you, she appreciates your help and you had done more than enough along with Carlos, Jane, and her new little brother and sister."
"Oh... Good... I really didn't wanna disappoint her..." Evie then said as she sounded a little bit better now. "I hope we helped raise enough money."
"You know... I have a pretty good idea that you did," Regina replied. "Everything will be okay, Evie."
"Okay, Mom... If you say so and think so..." Evie then said calmly.
"Of course I know so," Regina gently retorted with a nod. "I'm Mother and you should know that Mother knows best."
Evie flinched slightly at that advice as it just made her think about those weird visions she once had of The Evil Queen and The Stable Boy. She decided not to say anything about it though and soon continued to sip her water until they would be free to leave the school and head right for the hospital.
At the hospital, Henry was being wheeled in on a gurney as Emma followed Dr. Whale and several nurses were currently attending to Henry.
"Henry, can you hear me? Come on, Henry," Emma spoke urgently to the poor boy. "Wake up, please. Come on, Henry. Come on. You can do it."
"Ma'am, let me take you to-"A nurse began to suggest.
"No, I am not going anywhere!" Emma glared and retorted.
Dr. Whale was examining the boy with his tools. "There's no pupil response. What happened? Did he fall? Hit his head?" he then stated and asked.
"He ate this. I think it's poisoned." Emma replied, holding up a baggie that contained the turnover.
"His airway's clear," Dr. Whale then said as he continued to examine Henry as much as he could. "Did he vomit? Any convulsion or disorientation?"
"He took a bite of this, and then he just collapsed," Emma simply explained. "So, run the test for arsenic, or bleach, or Drano, or whatever could've done this to him!" she then suggested.
"The boy is showing no symptoms that would suggest neurotoxins. So, whatever's going on, this is not the culprit." Dr. Whale replied then.
"Well, what else could it be?" Emma then asked him.
"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out." Dr. Whale replied gently.
Emma looked very on edge. "He's going to be okay, though, right?" she then asked hopefully.
"Right now, we just need to stabilize him, 'cuz he's slipping away," Dr. Whale retorted. "Is there anything else that you can remember? Any little detail?"
"I already told you everything. Do something!" Emma cried out frantically.
"Look, I understand you're frustrated, Miss Swan, I do, but I need something to treat," Dr. Whale replied as patiently as he could. "And, right now, there is no explanation. It's like-"
Emma soon dumped out the contents of Henry's backpack onto a table before seeing his book as she suddenly had another idea. "Like magic." she then said softly before picking up the book and her mind was suddenly filled with memories from the Fairy Tale World, particularly the time when she was sent to the Real World as a baby through a magical wardrobe before she came back to "reality".
Regina was soon shown, rushing frantically into the room with Evie. "Where's my son?" she then demanded.
"I came as soon as I could too." Evie added before looking around, then saw Emma and was about to say hi to her until something suddenly happened beyond anybody's control.
"You did this," Emma glared at the dark-haired woman and dragged her into a storage room, throwing her against a storage rack. She then continued to attack while Regina struggled to defend herself, but Emma ultimately ended up pinning Regina to the wall. "You did this!" she then repeated sharply.
"Emma!" Evie soon cried out.
"What the hell are you doing?" Regina grunted and growled. "Stop this! My son-"
"Is sick because of you!" Emma finished with a glare. "That apple turnover you gave me? He ate it!"
"What? It was meant for you!" Regina replied then.
"It's true, isn't it?" Emma then sneered at Regina.
"What are you talking about?" Regina demanded.
Evie soon went into the storage room to see the two women together and was about to protest about what Emma was doing until she paid close attention to what they were saying.
"It's true, isn't it? All of it." Emma then demanded to Regina.
"Yes." Regina replied then.
"I was leaving town. Why couldn't you just leave things alone?" Emma then demanded.
"Because as long as you're alive, Henry will never be mine!" Regina retorted.
"He'll never be anyone's unless you fix this," Emma glared. "You wake him up!"
"I can't!" Regina replied.
"Don't you or Evie have magic?" Emma then asked.
"That was the last of mine. It was supposed to put you to sleep!" Regina replied. "The descendants don't have any of their own magic. It was wiped out along with the curse after they had been born in the old world before we all ended up here."
"What...?" Evie whispered with wide eyes.
Emma glared before she then soon released her grip on Regina. "What's it gonna do to him?" she then asked about Henry.
"I don't know. Magic here is unpredictable." Regina replied as calmly as possible.
"You mean... Henry could die...?" Evie suddenly asked.
Emma and Regina then looked over to see the girl just standing there suddenly, not expecting her to be there and not knowing that she had been there the whole time.
"Evie... When did you get here?" Regina asked her daughter.
"Never mind that now, Mom," Evie replied in a choked-up voice. "...Answer my question. Please. Could Henry die?"
Regina looked a little soft before she sighed and decided to be honest. "Yes." she then answered.
Evie gasped with tears in her eyes before she cupped her mouth out of fear for her little brother.
"I'm very sorry, my dear." Regina replied.
"...I don't think you are actually..." Evie whispered to herself.
"What was that?" Regina then suddenly asked.
Evie just turned away from her mother and crossed her arms.
"...Fine. Keep your secrets." Regina said with a small frown.
"Forgive her, she's just a teenager," Emma then told Regina. "So, what do we do about Henry?" she then asked.
"We need help," Regina replied. "There's one other person in this town who knows about this... Knows about magic."
Emma looked like she had a pretty good idea of who they had to go and see. "Mr. Gold."
"Actually, he goes by Rumplestiltskin." Regina then clarified bashfully.
Evie looked over then.
"Evie... I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but I need you to stay here with Henry," Regina told her older child. "He needs his big sister right now. Can you at least do that for me?"
Evie looked over before firmly pouting. "...I'll do it for Henry, but I'm not doing it for you," she then said as calmly as possible. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I don't think I can forgive you for a while."'
"Okay..." Regina replied softly before looking at Emma. "Come along then, Miss Swan."
"Right." Emma nodded, going to follow Regina even if she didn't really want to deep down.
Evie took a deep breath and slowly let it out before she then went to go and see her little brother. Dr. Whale then looked over to the girl as he looked a bit melancholy about Henry's situation.
"Dr. Whale, can I sit with my little brother for a while?" Evie requested. "Please?"
Dr. Whale was about to decline before he looked at Evie, then took a deep breath. "Well, all right," he then said. "I'm sorry that there isn't much that we can do for him, but you can sit and talk to him if you want. Take your time... I think right now I have to go and see Mrs. Collins..." he then groaned and rolled his eyes slightly.
"Hey, Ebony's cool." Evie pouted at his complaining tone.
"I'm sure she is for you young people, especially her son, but she's been a pain in the neck lately," Dr. Whale replied. "She keeps refusing to take her medicine... She claims it makes her forget."
"Forget what?" Evie asked before she thought about her recent visit to Doug's mother and what mysterious thing she said. "That we're all under a curse?"
"I can see that she got to you too," Dr. Whale then said before nodding. "Well, yes. She believes that Regina is The Queen of Storybrooke and not the mayor and thinks that she's a cat while Eddie and Doug Collins are her dwarf husband and son. I'm sure you've heard pretty absurd things from her as well."
"Uh... Yeah..." Evie replied softly. "She says that I'm a princess since I'm the daughter of Mayor Mills."
"Like I said... She's cuckoo for Coco Puffs and not in a good way," Dr. Whale said before he walked off with his clipboard. "Excuse me, Evie."
"Y-Yes... Of course, Dr. Whale..." Evie nodded softly as it all started to make sense to her now. She then looked down and gently stroked Henry's hair as the boy laid still and unresponsive which was a very scary feeling for the teenage girl right now. "Oh, Henry..."
Dr. Whale looked soft before he then sighed and went to go and get the medicine needed for Ebony, though he knew that she was just going to pretend to take it and claim that she wasn't crazy about being part-cat and everybody else had former lives in a Fairy Tale World.
"Oh, Henry, I don't know if you can hear me... But... I love you very much and I would do anything to wake you up right now," Evie whispered as she tried to hold back some tears. "I made a promise to help out a friend in need with the school bake sale and pie eating contest, but I also made a promise to you. After Mom brought you home from Boston, I promised to be the best big sister there ever was and I'm going to keep that promise until the day I die because you are more important to me than anything else. I promise to help you in any way, Henry."
Regina and Emma were leaving the hospital and soon looked over in the waiting room to see that Dee Dee sat in the middle as Astrid and Leroy sat on opposite sides of her. They then looked at each other before they continued their destination.
Soon, the two women entered and stumbled into Mr. Gold's Pawnshop.
Mr. Gold soon noticed the two women and looked like he knew something they didn't know already. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the look of a believer?" he then rhetorically asked.
"We need your help." Emma replied urgently.
"Indeed, you do. It seems quite the tragic ailment has befallen our young friend," Mr. Gold nodded. "I told you, magic comes with a price."
"Henry shouldn't have to pay it." Regina retorted.
"No, you should, but alas, we are where we are." Mr. Gold grinned.
"Can you help us?" Emma asked hopefully.
"Of course. True love, Miss Swan... The only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and break any curse," Mr. Gold replied. "Luckily for you, I happen to have bottled some."
"You did?" Regina asked in surprise.
"Oh, yes. From strands of your parents' hair, I made the most powerful potion in all the realm," Mr. Gold explained calmly. "So powerful, that when I created the dark curse, I placed a single drop on the parchment. Just a little safety valve."
Emma soon realized what all of this meant. "That's why I'm The Savior. That's why I can break the curse." she then said.
Mr. Gold nodded at that. "Now you're getting it."
"I don't care about breaking the curse," Emma then argued. "All I care about is saving Henry."
"Which is why it's your lucky day. I didn't use all the potion," Mr. Gold then informed. "I saved some... For a rainy day."
"Well, it's storming like a bitch. Where is it?" Emma replied.
"Where it is isn't the problem. Getting it is what should worry you." Mr. Gold responded rather cryptically.
"Enough riddles. What do we do?" Regina demanded with a glare.
"You do nothing. It has to be Miss Swan," Mr. Gold replied. "As well as your daughter and a special friend of hers."
"He's my son," Regina retorted. "It should be me and what would Evie have to do with this?"
"All due respect, but it's Miss Swan's son. And it has to be her. She's the product of the magic. She must be the one to find it," Mr. Gold replied. "Also, it requires the union of The Purple Dragon and The Blue Raven." he then added with a subtle wink.
"I can do it and Evie can help out, I know she would." Emma replied.
"Don't trust him." Regina warned Emma.
"What choice do we have?" Emma replied.
"That's right, dearie. What choice do you have?" Mr. Gold added in a bit of a teasing tone of voice.
"Where is this magic and who is this friend that Evie has to bring along with her?" Emma then asked as patiently as possible.
Mr. Gold looked from Emma before looking at Regina. "Tell me, Your Majesty, is our friend still in the basement?" he then asked her knowingly.
Emma looked curious at what was going on as she had no idea what they were talking about.
"Oh, you twisted little imp. You hid it with her?" Regina glared suddenly.
"Oh, no, no. Not with her. In her," Mr. Gold gently retorted. "I knew you couldn't resist bringing her over especially separating her from the one child who didn't get away from her."
Emma looked between the two. "Who is 'her'?" she then asked.
"Someone you should be prepared for, "Mr. Gold replied. "Where you're going, you're going to need this." he then took out and opened a long box on the counter before taking out what looked like a knight in shining armor's sword along with a scabbard.
"What is that?" Emma asked in a bit of shock.
"Your father's sword." Mr. Gold revealed.
"Also, what's this about a Purple Dragon and a Blue Raven?" Emma then asked. "I thought you said we needed Evie and a friend of hers' help."
"Oh, but you do," Mr. Gold nodded. "Evie and her friend have those items also needed to help unleash the magic in this town."
"I thought we made it clear that our descendants shouldn't be able to have their magic unlocked in this town for their own protection." Regina said to Mr. Gold suddenly.
"Aye... That we did, but it was hidden within them deep down inside much like Dorothy Gale's way back home from her adventure in The Land of Oz," Mr. Gold replied. "The Purple Dragon and The Blue Raven they both have will help unleash the magic that they need to save everybody and break the curse during Miss Swan's battle will fix everything and everybody."
"Purple Dragon..." Emma whispered.
"That sounds a lot like the Barbie Rapunzel toy set I got for Evie on her 6th birthday party," Regina remarked to herself. "She had a toy dragon in the set... I think she said its name was Penelope."
"Then you must allow young Evelyn to retrieve that along with another special trinket from the past of one's descendant's childhood," Mr. Gold nodded with a grin. "After all, you remember who got you the money for that toy set so that young Evelyn wouldn't throw a tantrum and nearly everybody else in the world came to her birthday party except for one malicious little child."
Regina and Emma then looked over and shared a concerned look with each other.
"I know exactly who and what he's talking about." Regina sighed.
"Then we better get back to the hospital," Emma replied. "I think I heard Evie say something about inviting everybody in town to her birthday party except for one girl."
"It's a bit of a long story why Evie couldn't invite that girl to her birthday party," Regina said. "Let's go then."
"Right." Emma nodded to her in agreement.
And at that, the two women soon left to head right back to the hospital.
Mr. Gold smirked as he saw them go before he sighed sharply to himself. "Perhaps now I'll find the courage to talk to Benjamin about his brother and his mother." he then said quietly before flinching with wide eyes as something that he hoped wouldn't happen if he whispered would happen, but unfortunately...
"So can we finally talk about them, Dad?"
Mr. Gold slowly turned around to find his son previously behind the curtains, but now right in front of him.
"Please?" Ben asked hopefully.
"...Benjamin, I thought you were studying back there..." Mr. Gold softly said to his son. "You know after school that you're supposed to-"
"Dad..." Ben interrupted a bit sternly.
Mr. Gold raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised at his son's sudden shift in tone.
"I'm talking now." Ben then continued.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Gold replied, his tone tensing up slightly, but not raising his voice beyond his typical whisper as he gripped his cane's handle tighter than usual.
"Dad, I'm sorry, but I asked you a question," Ben replied, trying to stay assertive so that he could get what he wanted from his father. "You promised me that we could someday talk about my mother and my brother. I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped, but I've wanted to talk to you about this for a very long time."
"Benjamin..." Mr. Gold sighed wearily.
"Please Dad," Ben said as he put his hands together. "We have to talk about this. I'm 16 years old and I'm not a little kid anymore. You can trust me and tell me anything and we're a family and we're supposed to help each other. You say I can tell you anything that's on my mind whenever it is, so I'm doing that now," he then said before he pulled up his father's work stool and sat down in it and crossed his arms. "Tell me about my mother and my brother." he then added before narrowing his eyes with a bit of a pout.
Mr. Gold looked at his teenage son before sighing. Ben looked so much of someone he once knew in his dark and mysterious past that the memories had flooded back for a while. He then decided to give in and tell his son something. "Very well," he then said softly. "I have to head out into town for something important." he then started to say.
"Is there any chance that it could wait?" Ben then asked urgently. "Dad, you promised."
Mr. Gold sighed as he had to admit that his son was very right about that. "I did..." he then said softly. "Very well. Let me tell you a story that might sound very hard to believe at first."
Ben nodded as he sat quietly and tried to remain patient, though he could tell that his father was stalling in some cases.
"Once upon a time, there was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic storybook characters you know. Or you think you know," Mr. Gold began to tell his son as he sat down behind his display counter to finally sit down and have a word with him about the secrets of Storybrooke. "One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen. This world. This is how it happened..."
Ben nodded as he sat up a bit, eager to hear and learn more as he decided to be open-minded as he heard rather strange things going on in Storybrooke ever since Emma Swan showed up. It was going to be the wildest and craziest story of his life. That was for sure.
MEANWHILE...
Dee Dee sniffled and pouted as she sat in the waiting room with the two who were acting like her new parents ever since Miners' Day.
"Oh, sweetie... Please don't cry," Astrid coaxed to poor Dee Dee. "Be a big girl. Be a big and happy girl."
"I'm sorry, Mama Astrid..." Dee Dee pouted as she wiped her eye with a small sniffle. "But I'm really sad and worried about Henry."
"Aw, Pigtails, don't cry..." Leroy said as gently as he could. "He wouldn't want ya to be sad."
"I can't help it... I feel bad..." Dee Dee pouted as she held herself and put her hands to her eyes.
"Oh, poor baby..." Astrid frowned as she soon took a hold of Dee Dee, giving her a great big hug. "Shh... Shh... It's okay, sweetheart."
Dee Dee sniffled as she hugged Astrid back, but still felt very bad. "I wish I had my mother here..." she then said.
"I know, dear. I know..." Astrid coaxed. "But remember, I'll be like your mama from now on."
Dee Dee sniffled, pouted, and continued to cry a bit. Leroy looked away as he felt bad to hear Dee Dee crying, though he glanced back at her softly, trying to be comforting and supportive, though it was a little hard. Astrid shushed and gently rocked Dee Dee in her arms despite the girl's age as she was technically out of babyhood and should be a bit more mature, but she wasn't there just yet.
"What if I sang you the lullaby that Mother Superior used to sing to Jane?" Astrid soon suggested.
"Mother Superior sang lullabies for Jane?" Dee Dee asked softly.
"Yes, that's right," Astrid nodded gently while holding onto Dee Dee and gently stroking her back. "She may not be Jane's actual mother or anyone's mother, but she's a mother in the church. Let me comfort you like she comforts Jane."
"What's a mother like, Mama Astrid?" Dee Dee asked then before Astrid gently held her out of the hug. "Please won't you tell me?"
"Yes, of course... Like Papa Leroy will be your papa," Astrid promised before she looked over at the man next to her. "Won't you, Leroy?"
"Uh... Yeah... Sure..." Leroy replied a little bashfully before shrugging. "You kiddin'? I meant it when I said I'd like to travel on my boat with you guys someday. That includes you, Pigtails."
"Aww..." Astrid smiled as her heart melted at that sentiment.
"Thank you, Papa Leroy~" Dee Dee said sweetly before looking at Astrid.
Astrid looked down and looked soft before she smiled warmly at Dee Dee and tried to comfort the girl who was really sad and worried about her best friend. "Well, a mother, a real mother, is the most wonderful person in the world. She's the angel voice that bids you good night, kisses your cheek, whispers, 'Sleep tight'." she then started to tell the girl.
Dee Dee smiled a bit softly while Leroy scooted closer as he looked a little curious too despite being a grown man who surely came from a family of his own, right?
"Your mother and mine, Your mother and mine~" Astrid soon began to sing to Dee Dee to help comfort the girl. "The helping hand that guides you along, Whether you're right, whether you're wrong, Your mother and mine, Your mother and mine, What makes mothers all that they are?, Might as well ask, 'What makes a star?', Ask your heart to tell you her worth, Your heart will say, 'Heaven on Earth', Another word for divine, Your mother and mine~"
Dee Dee soon slowly shut her eyes and calmed down as the song very much felt like a lullaby to her. Leroy smiled at the song, though tried to hide his tears from Astrid and Dee Dee so he wouldn't be seen as "wussy for crying". Eventually, as they joined together like a surrogate family with each other, Regina and Emma were soon coming back to the hospital.
"I wanna see my mother, but I don't even know where she is." Dee Dee said while crying.
"It's okay, Pigtails. It's okay," Leroy said. "We're family now."
Dee Dee continued to sniffle before she then looked over at the town grump/drunk. "We are?" she then asked softly.
"Well... Yeah... Sure..." Leroy shrugged with a small smile. "Why not?"
Dee Dee sniffled before she smiled and hugged him suddenly. Leroy grunted and growled slightly from the hug, though he gently patted her back to show that he had cared a lot about her recently as Astrid looked on with a warm giggle and clapped her hands together excitedly.
"Evie..." Emma spoke as she walked up to the girl.
Evie then looked up and over. "Oh, Emma. You're back." she then said.
"Yes, I am," Emma nodded in response. "I need your help with something."
"Oh?" Evie asked.
"Yes. Mr. Gold said to bring a purple dragon with you." Emma then added.
"You mean Penelope?" Evie asked softly.
"Yeah, I guess I do," Emma replied. "Plus a friend of yours is waiting outside who also needs to help out apparently."
"Who is it?" Evie asked curiously.
"She told me not to say until we were outside," Emma told Evie. "You get ready while I talk to your brother for a little bit."
"...Sure, okay." Evie nodded as she could tell that this was very important as she stood up and walked over to the side.
"Henry... You were right about the curse. I should have believed you. I'm sorry," Emma soon said to the boy before she placed his storybook under his pillow. "For when you wake up." she then kissed him on the forehead.
Evie smiled as she was very pleased to see that as she looked ready to go before she then saw her mother. "Mom..." she then said softly.
Emma then looked over to see that Regina had arrived. "Say what you got to say. You got 10 minutes and Evie is coming with me as well as that friend of hers." she then stated.
"You know where to meet?" Regina then asked.
"Yeah. Don't be late." Emma nodded.
"What was that all about?" Evie then asked.
"Don't worry about it," Emma replied. "Come and help me outside and I'll take you to your place to get that dragon."
"Well, all right," Evie shrugged before looking over. "I'll see you later, Mom."
"Very well then," Regina said softly. "I'll see you later too and be careful with Mal outside."
"Thanks, Mom," Evie nodded before her eyes widened. "Wait. Did you just say Mal?"
"Come on, Evie. We better go." Emma said before rushing the girl outside the hospital.
"Wait! I definitely heard Mal's name in that conversation!" Evie cried out suddenly as she was being pushed away by Emma.
Regina watched her daughter and the other woman leave before she soon looked over at her son once they were alone together. "I'm sorry..." she then softly said to the unconscious boy.
Jefferson, who had been lurking in the shadows, soon spoke up. "Pity, isn't it? There's nothing harder than not knowing whether you'll ever see your child again." he then taunted since that was exactly what she did to him 28 years ago.
"Jefferson, now is not a good time." Regina sighed and complained.
"For you. Well, for me, it's the perfect time. I'm here to collect," Jefferson retorted. "Where... Where is she... My daughter?" he then firmly demanded.
"Emma was supposed to eat that apple, and she didn't," Regina clarified. "As far as I'm concerned, that makes our deal null and void."
Jefferson snorted in fury. "I did what you asked, and you're going to screw me over again?" he then glared.
"Look at it however you want, Jefferson. The fact is, I'm done with you." Regina retorted fearlessly.
"But I'm... I'm not done with you." Jefferson replied strictly.
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Regina challenged. "I know you want to, but I also know you can't."
"Do you?" Jefferson argued.
"Yes. You don't have it in you," Regina defended. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to save my son." she then said, getting ready to storm out.
Jefferson glared as he soon watched her go before he looked even more lost and sad without his daughter as he took out a playing card of a White Rabbit that had been left on his daughter's bike.
Eventually, Evie and Emma left the hospital together and the black-haired girl's worst fears had been realized.
"Well, hello there, Princess Blueberry," Mal greeted as she had her backpack. "I knew that this day would come sooner or later."
"So you did say her name..." Evie soon said to Emma. "Why are you making me work with her? She hates me! ...No offense, Mal." she then added before looking back over at the other girl.
"Why would I be offended by that? It's totally true," Mal shrugged with a small smirk. "Besides, I wanna talk to you about something."
"Yeah? And what's that?" Evie asked.
"I'll tell you later," Mal said. "You got that purple dragon?"
"No, actually, we need to go to Evie's house right now to go and pick it up," Emma replied. "...Mal, you look so familiar to me somehow... Have we maybe met before?"
"Eh, I don't think so," Mal shrugged in response. "I usually tend to keep to myself and live in my own little world. Now, let's get that dragon so that I can get out my magical tool too."
"What's your magical tool then and what does my old dragon toy have to do with it?" Evie asked out of confusion.
"I'll tell you more later, especially when we talk later," Mal replied as she sounded very determined. "So quit your yapping and the sooner we get your dragon toy, the sooner we can get this over with and save Storybrooke, especially someone very important."
"Oh, yeah? And who would that be?" Emma then wondered.
"Who else? My mother." Mal replied before she walked off as they hurried to Emma's car so that they could get to the Mills' mansion.
"Huh?" Evie asked.
"You know, this is gonna go by a lot quicker if you just go with whatever's going on and stop asking so many questions." Mal advised as she glanced back over her shoulder to Evie.
"Oh, uh... Sorry..." Evie replied bashfully. "Today's just been a pretty crazy day for me lately."
"I'm sure..." Mal nodded in reply.
"Come on, girls. No fighting," Emma told the two of them. "This isn't going to help Storybrooke like you think it will if you keep this up."
Mal and Evie glanced at each other before Evie took the front seat from Mal who now suddenly had to ride in the back. Emma was silent for the most part as she continued to drive off so that they could continue their new mission. Evie felt very nervous about being alone with Mal, let alone work with her especially with their history together which was still a bit unclear to some. Especially with Mal being excluded from a birthday invitation which seemed to hit a real thorn in her side. Perhaps it was just teenage hormones and she just couldn't let the past go, though a lot of people would suggest that she should by now because what had happened between Mal and Evie was 10 years ago. Ancient history.
Yeah, not exactly, but you'll see what I mean sometime after this. Emma just couldn't help but feel like Mal reminded of someone, but she just couldn't think of who and when or even why, but she would probably and hopefully get the answer to that riddle for the ages later. Evie soon rushed into the house to go into her closet to pass her vast wardrobe, though not as much as Amalie's who was probably the second richest resident in Storybrooke just behind Mr. Gold due to her grandaunt being a very famous, yet now retired, opera singer. Mal and Evie were silent again as Emma then drove them to where they had to go once they had their respective "Blue Raven and Purple Dragon".
"Just gotta make one quick stop first." Emma soon said to the girls.
"Can I go in with you?" Evie asked rather quickly and suddenly.
"Uh... Sure, Evie..." Emma replied with a shrug, concerned about her urgency. "If that's what you want and if Mal doesn't mind."
"Oh, I'm sure that she absolutely doesn't mind," Evie replied with a nervous grin. "Right, Mal?" she then asked, glancing at the dark blonde-haired girl before she then nodded. "Yep. Right."
Mal just rolled her eyes in response, though she didn't seem to have any objections to that.
Emma then sighed before she soon pulled into Granny's inn. She then parked the car and left with Evie before they soon left the car and rushed inside. "I have to talk to August, just so you know." she then told the teenage girl.
"I understand!" Evie nodded. "Just don't leave me alone with that girl."
"Okay, Evie," Emma then said before she soon looked over and then knocked on the door she stood in front of after she found the one she was looking for. "August? Please open up. I know you're in there. Open the door." she then begged.
"I can't." August replied a bit weakly.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Evie sighed to herself before she looked over with wide eyes as Emma suddenly broke the door in to go after the man she was hoping to see. "...Well, that's one way to open the door for someone." she then noted.
Soon, Evie and Emma came inside the room to find that August was lying in his bed almost completely being turned into wood since he was Pinocchio in a former life.
"No. What's happening to you?" Emma gasped.
"Oh, so now you really do believe in the curse." Evie noted to Emma.
"You believe." August added with a nod.
"Yeah. I-I do," Emma softly said to them. "But... H-How do I stop this?"
"Break the curse." August replied.
"She's trying, August," Evie told the man. "At least we managed to get through to her."
"Yes. I'll try. I promise, but I got to save Henry first, and I need your help." Emma said then.
"No, you don't." August retorted.
"Yeah, I do. This is all too much," Emma urged. "I-I just... Talked to The Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin about a quest to find magic. I can't do it, August. I can't. No normal person can."
"Luckily for us, you're not normal," August said with a small smirk before looking soft. "You can save Henry. You can save all of-" he then started to say, only for the remainder of his body to turn to solid wood.
Evie gasped and cupped her mouth because of how sudden that was.
"August?" Emma called in concern.
"...He can't help us much further now," Evie soon told Emma as she faced the blonde woman. "We have to save my brother. Right now."
"Right..." Emma nodded. "I just hope that I can do this."
"You're not gonna be doing this alone though," Evie then piped up. "I'm going to be helping you and also, somehow so is Mal. We are part of each other in this town. This... This modern Fairy Tale town."
"Well, all right, Evie, if it means that much to you-" Emma then replied.
"It does." Evie interrupted eagerly and hopefully.
"Then we'll go," Emma nodded. "C'mon. Let's go get Mal and get going to our little adventure."
"Adventure... I think I like the sound of that." Evie nodded.
Emma cracked a small smile before they soon left the inn and went to head back to the car to make it to the library.
Later, outside the library, Emma, Evie, and Mal waited for Regina. Emma had her sword with her while Evie had her Purple Dragon and Mal had her Blue Raven. Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long as the woman in question soon arrived and the four of them entered the building. Regina looked over at Mal, attempting to give her a friendly wave until Mal just snorted and turned away rather suddenly from the woman almost like she had some sort of issue against Evie's family in general. The question was just "Why?".
"What is this place?" Emma soon asked once they made it inside.
"Would you like a tour, or shall we just get to it?" Mal snorted in response.
"What?" Emma asked then.
"This is my home." Mal explained.
"You live here?" Evie then asked the other girl. "I didn't know that."
"No one does except for the people I trust like Jay and Carlos," Mal replied haughtily before looking right at Regina. "She knows what this place is though."
"...I do." Regina nodded, flinching slightly at Mal's coldness.
"Well, one of you, lead the way." Emma then decided.
"Well, since you live here, I think you should do the honors." Regina soon said to Mal.
"That's the first thing you've said that I saw no problem with." Mal retorted firmly.
"Don't talk to my mother that way." Evie said with a small pout.
"None of you are the boss of me," Mal replied. "Let's just get this over with."
"I'm not fond of your attitude, Mal Draconis." Evie narrowed her eyes a bit.
"Evie, not now." Regina said as she put her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"She can't get away with talking to us like that, Mom," Evie defended. "Mal's been on my case for as long as I can even remember."
"Oh... So she doesn't know after all..." Mal smirked a little at Regina. "Should've known that would happen."
"Can it, Missy..." Regina replied sternly.
Mal blinked at that before she then walked up to one of the walls and placed her hand on it. As she did, the wall soon rose, revealing an elevator and the door then opened.
"Whoa." Emma whispered.
"Ah, this is nothing," Mal shrugged. "This is just where I go after school."
"Well, you did say that you lived here." Evie replied.
"Yeah, I know," Mal said before she then nodded. "Get in." she then told Emma and Evie.
After you." Emma said.
"All right then." Mal nodded as she stepped into the elevator first.
Evie then shrugged before she then went in after Mal.
"You too." Emma then told Regina who just stood there.
"It's a two-man job. The elevator's hand-operated," Regina clarified. "I have to stay up here and lower you down."
Emma narrowed her eyes suspiciously based on personal experience. "And I'm just supposed to trust you?"
"I don't think you have much choice in the matter, Miss Swan," Regina retorted. "Besides, my daughter is going down with you and I would never abandon her like that."
Evie sighed before taking a deep breath to try to look calm about her current situation with Mal.
"This battle we're supposed to fight... Who is it?" Emma then asked. "What is down there?"
Regina looked over a bit. "An old friend." she then said with a nod.
"My mother." Mal added with a whisper.
"Then why don't you go talk to them?" Emma then asked Regina.
"Because her punishment here was different than everyone else's. I trapped her... In a different form. She doesn't want to hear from me," Regina explained as calmly as she could. "You have to trust me on that, plus the girls will be there with you," she then said before facing the two teenage girls. "Make sure you keep those toys secure and use them when you see where they go."
"How will we know where to put them?" Evie then asked.
"You will find three platforms to follow the directions while Emma handles... Erm... Ms. Draconis," Regina explained gently. "You two will also learn how to get along and work together despite your hardships."
Mal narrowed her eyes even more in response to that. Regina narrowed her eyes back, growling slightly as she refused to give into Mal's rather wicked and mean-spirited attitude.
"Okay. We will go down there, but let's be clear about something... Your Majesty. The only reason you're not dead is because I need your help to save Henry," Emma soon warned Regina in a rather threatening voice. "He dies? So do you."
"Hm... I kinda like this old lady's spirit now." Mal chuckled and smirked.
Evie flinched as she looked unsure about that.
"Well, then let's get on with it," Regina soon suggested to Emma. "Now, this is what you're gonna have to do." she then instructed.
Emma then entered the elevator and was lowered down a shaft along with Mal and Evie. Evie swallowed thickly as she glanced over at Mal who just simply continued to stare her down in response with narrowed emerald eyes.
"Good luck, Evie." Regina soon whispered to her daughter.
Evie nodded as she felt like she was really going to need more than that and just hopefully not a hospital visit with urgent care from Dr. Whale. She just hoped that this wasn't going to be one of those "Three Women Enter, One Woman Leaves" rules as she hugged her Penelope doll for comfort and security as they worked their way down the elevator.