At Storybrooke High, Clara Oswald finished her English class before the period ended. "'Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one'," Clara told her class. She thought it was a good quote to end her class with. It summed up what she had taught and, also, it was something to consider for them. "Marcus Aurelius."
She took a look at her class when the bell rang, and the students got up. They picked up their books and pens, packing them into their backpacks. Clara turned to the whiteboard and erased all the notes she had written on it.
As the class emptied, leaving Clara the only one there, the Professor entered. He knew her timetable well, so he knew that she had a free period—the perfect time to see his partner.
"Hey," the Professor said, letting go of the hand bars of the pram and placing his arms around Clara's waist.
Clara leaned back and relaxed into the Professor's arms. "Hey," she said with a smile. "Did you miss me?"
"I always miss you," he said. "Did you contact your father all right?"
Clara nodded. "I did. With the help of the Doctor," she said. "We went back a year ago. I told him I was doing some work abroad. In Africa and South America, in case he couldn't contact me. Missionary work. And all that. And then, when we came back here, I gave him a ring. I told him that I had fallen in love with a wonderful man and became pregnant. So, long story short, he wants to meet you. But he's happy for me. I don't like lying to him, though."
"Maybe you don't have to for much longer," the Professor said. "When we meet, maybe he's understanding of everything?"
"Maybe. If he doesn't hate you for taking his daughter away from him," Clara teased, touching his nose gently. "But I do know why you're here. Zelena. Do you know why she was at the shop?"
The Professor shook his head. "I don't. She got something from the wall safe. I don't know what. I don't have Rumple's DNA. But it's something powerful."
"Maybe we should tell the others?"
"Not yet. Then she'll know that we're on to her. We need to be incognito. Pretend we are affected by the curse. That this curse is more powerful. I want to know what she's doing and why she needs our daughter. And then, that should tell us how to stop her. Then, we confront her. Together."
Clara nodded. "Okay. Yeah," she said. "I trust you." She smiled and then looked at Ellie in the pram. She picked up her daughter. "Hello, Ellie. Love you lots." Ellie cooed in Clara's arms as Clara placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "I'll be home soon," she said, putting Ellie back down.
She turned back to the Professor. "Protect her," she told him, kissing his cheek.
"Always," the Professor replied. He had a family now. He had to protect them. No matter what he did.