7:15 AM AU - Things go a bit differently in the cabin during 7:15 AM. With memories returned, how will this change things?
Face Claim for Narcissa: Eileen Davidson
Face Claims for the three good fairies:
Flora: Maggie Smith
Fauna: Linsey Godfrey
Merryweather: Jackee Harry
Happy 4th of July for my fellow American readers!
Thanks for the amazing response to this story. It's a lot of fun. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the twists and turns. Season 1 can be very fun to play with. Enjoy this latest and keep reviewing! Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Yep, early appearance from Greg and Tamara here. Yeah, hopefully they can, but I doubt they're going to see what's coming. Glad you're enjoying it!
Jennifer Baratta: Glad you enjoyed it!
Sammii16: You're welcome!
Grace5231973: Yep, this plan may prove to be lethal for Tamara, but you're right, she asked for it.
Number Ten: I feel for Dopey too. Well, I think the poppy issue is clear. They weren't in Regina's yard in season 1, because they didn't add them until a flashback in season 6. TV writers often lack foresight. And to be fair, how do we actually know they aren't in Regina's yard? We don't really know there's not a patch somewhere. And when we saw them grow on the sidewalk in 6x17, it was just after Regina was really nasty to Mary Margaret. So in a town that nothing happened in for almost twenty-eight years, it's not like Regina needed to go around scheming and doing evil. Most of the time during the curse, she was just the Mayor and when Henry came along, we know that she started to love again.
As for Narcissa, we know that she's for sure incapable of love and has just come to town with the most evil of intentions. So them growing outside her shop and not in Regina's yard(again, we actually don't know she doesn't have a patch or two somewhere) is plausible. And it's easy to explain why they're not outside the pawn shop. Until Emma came along, not even Rumple had his memories. He was feared, but I doubt he did much more than intimidate people into paying their rent during the curse. So I think the poppies in the presence of the true evil, incapable of love, here is plausible. Regina and Rumple did some bad and evil things. But we know they aren't actually evil. Narcissa is undoubtedly evil to her core. So yeah I think it's safe to say this is why. :)
Sexystarwarslover: I know, Tamara is awful. "From there". Talk about Xenophobia on a whole new level. At least we know they're over for sure so Neal can move on. Yep, Nurse Fawn is Fauna the fairy. Hopefully, we'll see who Flora and Merryweather are down the road. I'm sure they'll pop up eventually. I love Swanfire too. I really don't think they got a fair shot in canon and even if they didn't work out, Neal should have lived. Yep, Daddy/daughter patrol and I'm here for it. Yep, poppies contain opium, which is a narcotic. So the fact that they are drug isn't surprising. Yep, they still have scum in the Enchanted Forest. Yeah, this guy is an ass for sure. Poor Dopey, but David came to the rescue. Yep, Emma loves Wilby already. Yeah, Emma is in for a surprise later on when she goes beneath the library. Yep, him is Greg and he and Tamara are working for Narcissa, who is true evil. Glad you're enjoying!
AnonSnowing: Lol yeah, I'll agree with that. Tamara is a big jerk. Yep, she planned everything and purposefully ran into him that day. She manipulated him from the start. Yep, he still loves Emma. There may not be drugs in a cursed Storybrooke, but now that time is moving again, crime is happening as well. Yeah, I think that's what makes it relatable when you see how similar some things are between the EF and LWM. Yep, pink poppies outside Narcissa's shop and we don't know that there isn't a patch or two somewhere in Regina's yard. Though Regina was capable of love again after Henry. We know Narcissa isn't capable of love so it makes sense. Glad you're enjoying it!
Clarity
Chapter 24:Treacherous Plot
After finishing her own patrol, Emma arrived back at the station and found a note from David, saying that he completed his patrol and had gone home, but not before completing a huge stack of paperwork and placing it neatly on her desk. When she hired him, she had not been expecting him to catch on quickly or be good at the job at all. Instead, he had picked up the paperwork process, could handle a firearm, and patrol seemed easy to him, like he had done it before. There was a voice in the back of her head that told he probably had done similar patrol as a Knight back in the Enchanted Forest, but she shook her head free of that nagging voice.
The phone rang and she picked it up.
"Sheriff's station…" she answered.
"Sheriff...this is Narcissa Blake from the new dress shop on Main Street," the voice said.
"What can I do for you, Ms. Blake?" Emma asked.
"Well…I just came back from the market and saw that my lock was broken on the front door. Nothing is gone and I'm having an alarm installed tomorrow morning, but I was hoping you could come take a look just in case I'm missing something," the woman said.
"Sure, I'll be right there and we'll fill out a report," Emma replied, as she grabbed her gun and holstered it, before putting her jacket back on and heading out.
"Hey…" Snow greeted, as he came home that evening and he kissed her tenderly, while Wilby found his way to the food and water bowl she had gotten for him.
"Hey yourself," he said, as he swept her into his arms and started dancing with her.
"You're in a good mood," she purred, as she nuzzled her nose against his.
"I am," he agreed.
"Was work that good?" she asked.
"Amazing, but mostly because she asked questions about us, Snow," he replied. She looked at him.
"Really?" she asked. He nodded.
"At first, it was just about Wilby and why I needed a bloodhound on the farm. Then, because I told her it was because of the sheep and the farm, she assumed I was poor and I confirmed it. Then I told her about Bo Peep and the questions just kept coming after that," he explained.
"So...she's curious at least," Snow said.
"She is...she's coming around, Snow. It's slow and there's still a lot of denial there, but when I told her some of the normal stuff about our lives and not the more magical aspects, it really resonated with her," David replied. Snow smiled brightly.
"You really think she's getting there?" she asked. He nodded and she threw her arms around him.
"Oh Charming...I was so afraid she was going to end up hating us," she said tearfully and he caressed her cheek.
"She won't, my love...and someday, I really think we'll be the family we've always wanted," he assured her. Did she dare to hope?
"I should have known you'd get through to her...you're my hero," she gushed.
"I live to be your hero," he promised, as he kissed her again.
"You've been my hero since we met...and I think since before we met," she confessed. He looked at her with questioning.
"Before?" he asked. She nodded and took his hands.
"There's something wonderful I need to tell you," she replied, as she led him to the sofa so they could sit and she cuddled against him as they did, preparing to tell him how this was not the first time she had ever seen Wilby.
Many Years Ago
Queen Eva held her precious daughter, as Johanna readied the baby's christening gown. People were beginning to arrive for Snow's presentation to the Kingdom and christening.
"She is the most beautiful baby there has ever been," Johanna gushed, as the Queen smiled.
"She truly is...I waited so long for you, my dear Snow. We tried for over a year and I was unsure if this day would ever come, but like the snowdrops that endure the harshest winter, you finally came to me," Eva gushed, as there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Eva called and she smiled when she saw it was her older sister.
"Oh Narcissa...you're here. Come, come meet your precious niece," Eva called. The blonde entered and then peered down at the baby in her sister's arms. She frowned.
She couldn't believe that this little mongrel was being declared the fairest in the realms over her.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Eva asked. Narcissa forced a smile.
"Of course...and I have many gifts for her," Narcissa replied.
"Like a glass coffin when I'm done with her," she said silently to herself.
"Oh, you've gone and spoiled her, I suppose," Eva said.
"Well, she is a Princess, after all," she replied.
"That's right, my dear Snow...you are a Princess, but I know you will be kind to all. And one day, you'll wear our mother's tiara," Eva said. Narcissa frowned.
"What?" she asked in alarm when her sister referred to the tiara on her head.
"Well...mother passed it down to you and unless you have a daughter, then it naturally should be passed down to Snow someday," Eva said. Narcissa forced another smile.
"Of course," she said, as she turned away, because she was practically boiling with rage. She clutched the poison she had acquired, at no small expense, that she had hidden away in her clutch. When the Holy man put a drop of wine in the baby's mouth upon her christening, she would be sure that wine was spiked with this and then her worries would be over. Snow White would die and she would be supremely the fairest once again...
Emma arrived at Narcissa's dress shop and walked in.
"Thank you for coming, Sheriff Swan," Narcissa said, as she removed her reading glasses from her seat at the computer in her office.
"No problem...there's a lot of high end merchandise in this store so I'm not too surprised that someone tried to get in, being that you're new around here," Emma said, as she thought about Henry's insistence that outsiders didn't come to Storybrooke. But that had already proven untrue, as both August W. Booth and Tamara had come here. But it was still curious as to why a high end fashion designer and multi-millionaire had moved to set up a store in Storybrooke, Maine. If there was a place that seemed almost completely cut off from the outside world, it was definitely Storybrooke. It just didn't make any sense.
"Mind if I ask you a personal question?" Emma asked. Narcissa smiled.
"Let me guess...why is a woman like me moving to and opening a business in a tiny little town in the corner of New England?" Narcissa guessed.
"Yeah...this place is stuck in a time warp, in case you haven't noticed," Emma replied.
"That's why this town needs me and to be honest, the city got to be a little much for me. We are trying to reach out and get our brand to be more accessible in smaller, more rural areas and so I decided that I would head up one of many locations we're opening in small areas," she explained with a smile.
"Believe me, my employees and the board were just as surprised as you are when I decided to take this little sabbatical," she answered. It sounded plausible enough to Emma and she noticed the food on the table.
"That's quite a spread," she mentioned. Narcissa smiled.
"Yes…Granny's isn't exactly to my taste. Fortunately, I'm still able to get deliveries from New York of my favorite artisan breads, bagels and cheeses. Please help yourself," she offered.
"I'm never one to turn down food," Emma said, as she took the knife and cut herself a slice of cheese and a bagel, before smearing it with cream cheese.
"Mmm…I almost forgot how incredible New York bagels are," she said, as she munched on it, before putting the knife down, while she took a look around. Narcissa smirked and took the knife with her gloved hand, placing it behind her desk mirror.
Once she finished her snack, Emma examined the lock and dusted it for prints, before filling out the report.
"I'll send the prints to the lab to see if we get any hits on anyone that shouldn't have been touching the door," Emma said.
"Thank you so much, Sheriff," Narcissa replied.
"I'll also have my deputy check on this place during morning patrol," she added.
"Oh, you've hired a deputy?" she asked curiously, as Emma looked up from the report.
"Uh yes, his name is David Nolan," she said.
"Oh yes, the man you were speaking with earlier today outside my shop. He's quite a treat for the eyes," Narcissa mentioned and Emma was surprised when she bristled at that. The voice in the back of her head screamed that her father was very much married and in love with her mother, but she shook those thoughts away.
Where the hell had that come from? Since when was she so protective of David Nolan or Mary Margaret as more than a friend for that matter? Dammit...all this talk about them being her parents was getting to her. And despite the mounting evidence that it was true, she wasn't ready for the leap yet. She wasn't sure she'd ever be ready.
"Yeah...he's in a relationship with my best friend," Emma said.
"Oh yes...she seems very happy, but then I would be too on the arm of a man like that. He seems like a real prince and I'm sure you know how many frogs are out there," Narcissa replied. Emma looked at her with scrutiny.
"Uh yeah...I do and Mary Margaret seems very happy with him, which is all I care about," she said, as she finished the preliminary report.
"I'll get this filed and let you know what I hear from the lab," Emma said, as she turned to leave, only to find Tamara arriving.
"Well, I'm glad I ran into you. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that you've won," she said. Emma rolled her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Emma the blonde asked.
"I'm leaving town...Neal and I broke up," she revealed.
"Oh...well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't really give a damn," Emma replied, as she started to walk away.
"You can be in denial all you want, but I know you want him back!" Tamara accused. Emma turned and got in her face.
"Neal and I are over...so get it through your thick head that I'm not the reason your relationship is over!" Emma said.
"You're over with him, because you're a toxic bitch that would have done anything she could to cut me out of my son's life and move him away from here," she added. Tamara smirked.
"Henry would have adjusted and probably loved New York. But I guess now, we'll never know," she said.
"You're right...we won't and I can't say that I'm disappointed that you won't be my son's step-monster," Emma replied.
"Screw you, bitch," Tamara hissed.
"Back at you," Emma growled, before walking away. A few bystanders and Narcissa had witnessed the exchange and the latter had a pleased smile on her face, as Tamara stepped into her shop.
"How was that?" the dark haired woman asked.
"Excellent...it will serve us well for the next phase of my plan," Narcissa replied, as she locked the shop door and motioned her into the back room, which was also lined with mirrors.
"And what is the next phase of your plan?" Tamara asked.
"The only way I can truly hurt my nemesis is by destroying the people she loves or get them to turn against her," Narcissa replied.
"Well...you could seduce her man into your bed. Trust me, that will go far in destroying her," Tamara suggested. Narcissa smirked.
"That will come in due time. But first, we destroy Emma. I want them both ripe for the picking and the perfect way to do that is frame Emma for a crime. It will crush Mary Margaret Blanchard if Emma goes to prison," the blonde added.
"What crime?" Tamara asked and didn't notice the knife that Narcissa was clutching in her hand.
"A murder," Narcissa replied.
"Whose murder?" Tamara asked, as the blonde turned to her and she was alarmed to see the most malicious look imaginable on Narcissa's face.
"Yours," Narcissa said. Tamara's mouth gaped open, but she didn't have time to run, for she was caught completely off guard and the woman shoved her into the mirrors behind her. Tamara screamed, but the backroom was well out of earshot from the outside. The young woman fell to the floor, in a mess of blood and broken glass. She struggled to move and tried to crawl away, as Narcissa knelt beside her.
"I'm sorry...it's nothing personal really. You're just collateral damage and with this knife containing Emma's fingerprints, it won't be a leap, considering the heated argument you two just had," Narcissa said, as drew the knife back and drove it into the other woman's chest, careful not to get any blood on herself. Tamara gasped for air and her eyes glossed over, as she exhaled her final breath.
"I can't wait to see the look on your face, dear niece, when your own husband is forced to arrest your daughter," she hissed, before standing up. She turned out the lights in the shop and slipped out the back way. Tomorrow morning, she would return and put on an award winning performance when Deputy Charming arrived in the morning and saw the crime scene...