Cora's Scrapbook, Chapter Four: To Serve or Not To Serve
Cora investigates the disappearance of Mother Superior and uncovers a foul plot, which she must team up with Emma Swan to foil.
Author's Note: This chapter takes place during season four, episode eleven, "Heroes and Villains," which means we are almost at 4B territory. If you've read any of my other stories, you may know that I have a massive fondness for the Queens of Darkness (most of all Cruella de Vil), and I am so excited to finally bring them into the fold. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
Characters:
Cora Mills
Regina Mills
Henry Mills
Marco
Killian Jones
Mr. Gold
Belle
Emma Swan
Mary Margaret Blanchard
Cora generally preferred to eat breakfast at home, but knowing that her daughter needed time to herself after the return of Marian, decided that it would be a good day to take Henry out to breakfast. It was a chilly morning, as Cora noted that Henry's excitable chatter was materializing into steam as it left his mouth.
"I bet it was even colder growing up in the Enchanted Forest," Henry said.
"Oh, believe me, it was," Cora replied. "And I never had a coat this nice as a little girl."
"You know, you don't tell a lot of stories about when you were young."
Cora frowned. "It wasn't a happy time."
Henry crossed his arms. "Try growing up in a town where everyone is cursed."
Cora gave a grim smile. "Fair, but I lived in a town where I wanted to curse everyone. At least everyone didn't remember who your mother was during the curse. I was always the town drunk's daughter, and in a small town, that's almost as low as you can go."
"So your father was the town drunk. What about your mother?"
The pair had walked as far as Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop. Before answering, Cora motioned towards a nearby bench. After she and Henry were both seated, she spoke: "My mother became very sick and died when I was seven years old. Her name was Martha." Her eyes softened as she spoke her mother's name.
"What was she like?" Henry asked.
"She was very kind. My father's reputation did her no favors, but the people who really knew her loved her. She was a maid for an elderly countess whose estate was about two miles outside of town, and some days, I would go with her. She would clean the house while the countess taught me to read. Those were the days I most looked forward to. She used to say, 'Martha, your daughter was meant for great things!'"
Henry smiled. "That doesn't sound too bad."
"For awhile, it wasn't. When my mother took ill, the countess tried to offer my father a job in her household so that she could continue to provide for us. My father insisted that the mill was his life and refused her offer. She even tried to take me in, but he couldn't even let go of me."
"So you could have grown up with the countess?" Henry asked, furrowing his brow.
"But instead, I was the miller's daughter. That's why I had to move up and out of that life. And I did."
"Cora!" Marco came jogging down Main Street.
Cora and Henry leapt to their feet. "Marco! What's wrong?"
"The fairies!" Marco panted. "I just went to the convent, and all of the fairies are missing!"
"Are you sure they're not all out on a walk?" Cora asked. "I was just there yesterday, and the place was packed."
"Come and see for yourselves!" Marco said, beckoning to them as he ran back towards the convent.
"Breakfast can wait!" Henry shouted, jogging after Marco.
Shrugging, Cora followed.
"Have you ever known nuns to be this messy?" Cora asked Marco, collecting shards of a drinking glass from the floor of the main atrium.
"No," he replied. "Mother Superior would never have allowed it."
"Does the convent have a security system?" Henry asked.
"They could never afford one," Marco explained. "And because the curse stopped time, they never became more affordable."
Cora smirked. "As fascinating as it would be to delve into the economics of the Dark Curse, let's try to focus. What could have happened to the fairies?"
"Do you think they're dead?" Henry asked.
Cora closed her eyes and focused first on her own magical energy, then the magical energy surrounding her, reaching ever outwards. As the feeling spread, she recognized traces of familiar magic users around her- Regina, Gold, Emma. She felt the magnetizing beacons of true love from the Charmings. She sharpened her focus, specifically trying to detect Mother Superior. She felt the lingering essence of the Snow Queen's enchantment at the town border. She thought she noticed a dark presence, not far from Regina's own, though it seemed to sense her and pull back. This puzzled her, but she refocused on the Blue Fairy's light magic.
Marco and Henry watched her silently but intently.
"She's alive-" Cora said, her eyes opening suddenly. "But it is faint. Something is stifling her abilities."
Marco's eyes went wide. "Who could be strong enough to subdue the Blue Fairy?"
"Someone relentless. Someone who has a very specific purpose in controlling her."
"And there's only one person left in town who could possibly have a reason to something like that," Marco said darkly.
Cora met his gaze, understanding the implication. "Henry, go find Emma and Regina. I have to get a few questions answered."
"And here I thought that you thought better of me," Mr. Gold sighed. He stood by the bookshelf in his living room as Cora sipped a cup of tea in an armchair. "This feels an awful lot like making trouble. Especially when Belle and I are about to leave for our honeymoon."
"Oh, my dear, no one wants things to settle down more than I do," Cora said, "but I know that my friend is in danger. If you don't know anything about her disappearance, the least you could do is offer to help me."
"Really, Cora, I don't think you need my help. After all, the Blue Fairy and I rarely see eye to eye on anything. I can't imagine she would want my help."
Cora gave him a piercing stare. "All these years I've known you, you've always hated fairies and fairy magic. Why is that?"
Gold returned her gaze with a scowl. "Let's just say that fairies are behind a lot of the miseries in my life."
Cora rose to leave. "If that's all you have to offer, just promise that you'll keep an eye out for anything that could be helpful in the search."
"As you wish," the Dark One said, offering a small bow as his former apprentice departed.
It was almost 1:00 PM when Cora stepped into the police office. Emma Swan was deep in thought at her desk. "Hello, Cora," she said, looking up.
"How are you holding up?" Cora asked, taking a seat across from her.
"Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff are all safely home. Henry told me about the fairies. I'm trying to figure out what happened to them."
"I'm doing the same thing. I believe that they are alive, but hidden. Something is subduing their magic."
Emma raised her eyebrows. "How do you know this?"
Cora smiled. "You're still very new to magic, but I'm sure that you're aware that magic leaves traces. As you become more experienced, you'll learn how to recognize styles, sources of power, and other giveaways that tie magic to the person who used it. I can feel Mother Superior's magic. She's alive, but she's out of our sight."
Emma inclined her head. "That's actually pretty amazing."
"Well, we experienced witches do know a thing or two," Cora chuckled. "Is that the only thing that was bothering you?"
"Actually, no," Emma said, leaning forward in her chair. "I saw Hook not too long ago, but he seemed off. He wasn't himself."
"Oh," Cora frowned. "I'm hardly an expert on romantic relationships, but everyone has off days. I would imagine that after the Snow Queen's curse, he might still be out of sorts."
"I didn't even see him during Ingrid's spell. And it wasn't like he was out of sorts. He was stiff. He grabbed my wrist before he left."
"Stiff?"
"Yeah. Every word he said seemed a little forced."
Cora looked darkly at Emma.
"What do you know, Cora?"
"When I was in Wonderland, I had a servant, the Knave of Hearts. Like many of my servants, I controlled him with his heart. He had strong willpower, much like Hook. He could occasionally wrest himself free from my control."
"Are you saying that someone is controlling Hook?"
"I'm saying it's a possibility."
"Then we need to move fast," Emma said, heading towards the door.
"I will find Regina, and we will join you, as this is magic that we are both quite familiar with." With a flourish, she teleported home.
"Regina, I need your help!" Cora cried coming into the living room. "Emma and I think that Hook is being controlled by someone else and-" she stopped when she saw Regina crying on the couch. "Oh, my dear, what's wrong?"
"Robin's gone."
"Not him too," Cora said, sitting down next to her daughter and placing a supporting arm around her shoulders. "When did he disappear?"
"He didn't disappear," Regina growled through her tears. "The Snow Queen's spell started to affect Marian again, so he, Roland, and Marian are going to New York where magic can't hurt her. And now, I'll never see him again."
Cora knew that Emma urgently needed her and Regina, but she also knew that this matter needed to be resolved in order for Regina to function. So she said, "I thought I would never see you again when you sent me through the Looking Glass."
Regina sniffled. "Which time?"
"Both times," Cora said. "I thought I lost you forever that day in Gold's shop, when your love saved me from certain death. If your love is powerful enough to do that, it is strong enough for you to find Robin again."
"Thank you, Mother," Regina said, straightening up a little. "You're right. I'll get through it. I'm not sure I'm ready for an adventure tonight, though."
Cora looked up, as if waiting for inspiration. "How about you meet me for drinks at Granny's tonight. We can start to pick up the pieces and move forwards."
"Sounds like a plan," said Regina, picking up a Kleenex and blowing her nose before laying back down on the couch. "You go and save the day."
Cora laughed. "Save the day? Me?"
Regina smiled through her tears. "It's what heroes do."
Emma and Mary Margaret ran towards the library entrance, when Cora teleported in front of them in a cloud of purple smoke. Mary Margaret gasped.
"Sorry I'm late," Cora said. "What's the situation?"
"Rumplestiltskin has Hook, and he's going to kill him to free himself from the dagger," Emma said rapidly.
"Of course!" Cora said. "The fairies, Hook's heart… Why didn't I think of it sooner? He's gathering magic to untether himself!"
"Not if we can help it," Mary Margaret said, rushing forward to enter the library.
Cora teleported again to block her path. "If you rush in there, he could kill you. We need to be smart about this."
Emma and Mary Margaret burst into the clock tower to see Mr. Gold and Hook standing next to the clock. Gold held Hook's heart over the dagger, poised to crush it.
"Gold, stop!" Emma shouted.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Gold replied smoothly. "I've waited too long for this. And I'm too close."
Emma raised her hand to send a wave of magic at Gold, but he magically immobilized her and her mother. He smiled to himself, when something impacted with the back of his head causing him to stagger.
"You know, I know I should appreciate the homage, but this is over the line," Cora said, magically calling Hook's heart to her hand. "Your plan ends here."
"I should have known you would get in the way," Gold snarled, sending a fireball at Cora's face.
Cora ducked and sent several shards of the iron bannister careening towards Gold. "Fireballs are so passé."
"Tell that to your daughter," he replied, sending two more flying towards her. This time, as Cora dodged, the fireballs turned into ropes of flame, which encircled her. "Not bad, but did you really think you could defeat me? We've been through this before. Nothing can defeat me."
Cora felt the heat of her bonds, but smiled at who had just snuck up behind Gold.
"Let them all go," Belle commanded him, holding the dagger aloft, looking more furious than any of them had ever seen.
Gold's face showed sheer panic as he released his enchantments on Cora, Emma, and Mary Margaret.
"And now," Belle said, almost melodramatically, "Take us to the town line."
Gold and Belle vanished in a cloud of red smoke.
Cora walked down the stairs holding Hook's heart. "Here you go Emma. You already had his heart, so I thought you might actually like to hold it."
Emma glared at Cora, but Mary Margaret couldn't hold in a laugh. Cora slapped her a high five before leaving the clock tower, knowing her work was done.
Regina and Cora had a surprise visitor at Granny's that night, when Emma showed up in a show of support to Regina. This gathering was interrupted when a more-than-usually excited Henry burst in, declaring he had discovered a secret room in the sorcerer's mansion, filled with empty books not unlike his own storybook. Cora saw her daughter smile, filled with the hope that they would find the Author and get her happy ending.
As Regina and Henry were happily discussing the possibilities of the future, Emma approached Cora. "Hey, you know, you were really great during Hook's rescue."
Cora smiled modestly. "I do what I can."
"We know that Mother Superior and the other fairies are trapped in the Sorcerer's Hat."
"Any help I can offer to get them out would be my pleasure."
Emma gave Cora to most genuine smile she had ever offered her. "I wanted to talk to you about that."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Emma said, sitting down in a nearby desk chair. "You know, you might be better at finding information than anyone I know."
"In my life, knowledge has always been power. I've been looking for answers since I was a little girl."
"Which brings me to my point-" Emma said. "How would you like to be Storybrooke's Chief Police Investigator?"
Cora was speechless.
"You helped us with Ingrid, you helped stop Gold, and besides, the dental coverage is great." She extended her hand to shake.
Cora thought about this offer. On one hand, she would be putting herself under the yoke of Emma and her parents, something she swore never to do. On the other hand, she would be taking on the responsibility of keeping Storybrooke safe for Regina, Henry, and all of her friends. Would she follow her mother and serve to make a better life for her loved ones, or decline, as her father in his foolish pride had declined the countess's offer. The choice seemed clear.
"I'll do it," Cora declared, shaking Emma's hand.
"That's awesome!" Henry said. He and Regina had been listening after all. He ran to Emma's side, and she casually put her arm around her son.
"After all," Emma said. "It is a family business."
Author's Note: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please follow, favorite, and review!