Regina sighs in exasperation when her mother waves her over. Still, she holds up a finger silently asking Aphrodite to wait a moment longer. When the lighthearted blonde nods agreeably, she steps momentarily back to her mother's side. Reclaiming her seat on the same boulder, she forces herself not to recoil when Cora takes her hand.

"I'm leaving now, Mother. With any luck at all, I won't be back here. At least not until it's time for me to be."

Cora offers her a tightly controlled smile, one that is tinged with a nearly imperceptible hint of melancholy. "As you should. Go live your life. Be well. Be happy. And for goodness sake, get some rest. Regina, you do look dreadful."

Regina nods, laughing drolly. "Heaven forbid the queen should have a single hair out of place."

"Don't start. You should be kinder to yourself. You really do look run down, though I suspect this has something to do with it." Cora discreetly touches Regina's concealed but swollen abdomen and whispers, "How exactly did you come to be carrying your sister's child… Unless I've misunderstood."

"No, Mother. You haven't misunderstood a thing. It's a long story, but the condensed version is… Eliana likes being an only child. She's not ready to give it up. And carrying the child of a god is monumentally harder than carrying a mortal child - not that carrying a mortal child is particularly easy. Your eldest granddaughter is jealous of the new baby and all the attention he's getting. She's tired of her mother being run down and unavailable. She has decided that since Norah likes having brothers so much, she can have hers as well. We're all trying to think of some way to entice Eliana to reverse her decision. Preferably before I wind up giving birth to her little brother."

"If I understand you correctly, you're telling me that a four-year-old child relocated her younger brother from their mother's womb to yours… Out of sibling rivalry."

"A 4½ year old demigoddess, yes."

"It sounds to me like they are entirely too lenient with her."

Regina nods. "They are. I could tell them that until I'm blue in the face, but it will only make them resent me. She's not my daughter. Zelena and I do try to get along with each other… Most days."

"Well, that's progress. Five years ago, all you wanted to do was kill each other."

Regina shrugs. "I still want to slap her across the face at least once a week, but I have precious little time to fight with her. It's not worth it anyway."

"You have a town, three children, and a husband of your own to be concerned with."

Regina offers a tight smile, pleased that her mother at least acknowledged her boys. "Yes, happily, I do, and that's more than enough for any one woman to deal with."

"You should get back to them."

Relenting a little, allowing herself to feel things she wishes she didn't feel; Regina quietly admits "You know, that might be a little easier for me to accomplish if I thought there was a chance you were someplace better. Why are you still here? You should leave this place."

Cora's eyes widen noticeably as she thinks about the answer to that question. "There's not much I regret. As appalling as most people would find that, Regina, it's the truth."

"Well, there must be something. There has to be. Something's holding you here."

"Among my excruciatingly few regrets – the deplorable state of my relationship with you and your sister is at the top of the list."

Regina is silent for several long beats before she inhales deeply and surrenders. "Well, don't stay here on my account. Consider yourself released. I have no desire to hold you here."

"Don't you?"

Regina shrugs and then shakes her head. "Not really, Mother. There are old hurts that will probably never heal completely, but I do love you. If I didn't, those old hurts wouldn't resonate quite so sharply. Still, I wouldn't wish to see any person I love lingering in this place. That includes you."

Cora wraps an arm around her daughter's shoulders and squeezes with as much affection as she's capable of showing. "I think your sister would be happy to see me linger here for all of eternity."

Regina shrugs. "She's angry, and with good reason. That doesn't mean that she doesn't love you too."

"Could have fooled me."

"She does, Mother. She's just can't say so – she takes after you in that regard. You let her down. That's a hard thing to get over, but people don't carry grudges against people they don't care about."

"You're capable of setting aside you're hurt, anger, and disappointment. How do I get her to do the same?"

"Have you tried, 'I'm sorry?"

Cora's squints as the sun sinks low in the sky and the evening breeze blows through their hair. "Those two little words magically heal every transgression?"

Regina chuckles. "God no! There are some things - I'm sorry - will never heal."

"Then what's the point of saying it? If it doesn't do her any good?"

"Maybe it's not about her. Maybe it would do you some good."

Robin approaches but stops before he gets too close, not wanting to intrude on what he senses is an obviously private moment. He catches Regina's eye, smiles and points to the watch on his wrist.

Regina nods her understanding and turns her attention briefly back to her mother. "Fix what you can. Let go of what you can't. Find peace. If I can find a place where I belong… So, can you."

"Regina, darling, that sounds suspiciously like hope."

Regina rolls her eyes as she rises to her feet and drolly agrees, "Doesn't it, though?" She lingers only long enough to kiss Cora's cheek and then walks away free and clear.

Returning to Robin's side, Regina acknowledges Ron and Harry, who are also waiting to depart. "Going our way?"

Harry shrugs. "No reason not to. The dementors are no longer a threat. Ordinarily, I would prefer to take them home, but under the circumstances…"

Ron frowns and wrinkles his nose in disdain. "Fine by me. The sooner we get out of this bloody hellhole, the happier I'll be. Personally, I've never enjoyed the thought of being this close to Bellatrix Lestrange. Her death has not changed that. In life, she caused nothing but mischief and misery. She condemned too many people I care about to grief and loneliness. She killed too many loved ones, not the least of which was Harry's godfather, Sirius Black."

Alarmed, Harry speaks up again. "I hadn't thought about that. Someone, please tell me he's not here."

Aphrodite speaks softly, allaying his worries. "No, rest easy, Mr. Potter. You need not trouble yourself. Your godfather, your parents, Remus and his colorfully charming wife Tonks, and other friends you lost in the fight against Lord Voldemort; they left corporeal life in the service of good, with clear untroubled souls. They are at peace."

Harry nods slightly; almost bowing. "Thank you for telling me that. Knowing that makes their absence a little less unbearable. What will happen to Bella and Fiona now?"

Aphrodite offers him a melancholy version of her beautiful smile. "I'm afraid that is up to my uncle and remains to be seen, Mr. Potter. He's not known for forgiveness."

Robin changes the subject. "Come home with us. Regina desperately needs a rest, let me sear you a couple of steaks on the grill and pour you both a pint. It's the least I can do after all your help."

Ron grins eagerly, nodding his head in acceptance. "Don't mind if I do. Come on Harry, I'm starved!"

Harry thinks it over. "Only if Regina agrees. If you want us to disappear from your sight so you can rest and recuperate unencumbered by guests, I completely understand."

Tired as she is, Regina shrugs. "I'm absolutely certain that children would love to spend a few minutes with the two of you; if you don't mind. I know you weren't properly introduced earlier. Here in this realm, they think you are as much a part of the storybooks, as Ron thought Robin was earlier today."

"Oh sure, no trouble. We'd be delighted." Ron nods. "I, myself, can hardly wait to tell Hugo that Robin Hood lives. He's likely to think his old dad having him on."

Robin chuckles amiably. "Young Henry, our oldest, is going to want to give our little adventure today one of his catchy code names. Operation Lullaby, or something like that."

Regina's eyes widen with mirth. "Roland is going to want to learn to fly a broomstick, hear all about the whomping willow, and he'll want to torment his younger sister with the more noxious selections from a carton of Bertie Bott's. and Norah…"

Robin and Regina turn to each other laughing and announce in unison, "Chocolate frogs, and magic wands."

Regina nods as Harry and Ron smile agreeably. "I just hope I can stay conscious for it all."

Aphrodite offers sweetly, "I'm pretty sure I can help you with that. You'll likely still be tired, but I think I can keep it from getting any worse." She turns her attention momentarily away, beckoning to Hades and Zelena, "If you two will step this way for just a moment, I'd like to return something that belongs to you."

Feeling impatient, but curious, Hades and Zelena approach with raised eyebrows.

"When he's available, Daddy wants a word with Fiona and Bellatrix." She turns a repugnant scowl on each woman. "He's not at all happy with the pair of you. It really is unwise to endanger the lives of our children. Aphrodite magically swaps their current restraints with new ones fierce enough to hold gods captive. "There, you won't be going anywhere now. Not unless under the authority of Zeus."

Bellatrix has the good grace to look frightened, if also slightly curious.

Fiona groans in disgust under the weight of paper-thin restraints that mysteriously feel as if they are weighted down by two-ton iron anvils.

Ignoring them both, Aphrodite declares warmly, Now, if you will allow me..." She snaps her fingers with a dramatic flourish.

In the next breath, both sisters speak the same two words - Regina with a protracted sigh of relief, and Zelena with both a dreadful groan and a radiant smile. "Thank you!"

Regina tosses off her cloak and wraps it around her sister's shoulders to replace the one Bella ruined moments before. While her own swollen abdomen mysteriously begins to retract and disappear, her sister's begins to expand once more; accommodating her son as he returns to his proper place."

Hades rests a protective hand over his wife's belly. "Aphrodite, you beautiful creature! I am in your debt!"

The bubbly, vivacious blonde shrugs as if it's of no concern. "Sorry Uncle, it's understandable that you didn't know about it. You haven't spent a lot of time up on the mountain for a while. About half a century ago, our pint-sized deities began playing a new game – a prenatal version of hide and seek. Sometimes, it's done solely for entertainment. Other times, like with your little imp, the older sibling is not happy with the new impending arrival. I'm afraid I've forgotten whose idea the prank was initially, but for the first few days, all of our expectant mothers and fathers were in an uproar. Olympus was in the state of total pandemonium. What happened to the baby! Find the baby! Who's got the baby!" Aphrodite giggles despite her best effort not to. The little tikes seem to think it can be done all in good fun. The parents, not so much! Daddy and Hera had to come up with a way to reverse their shenanigans." She squeezes Zelena's shoulders affectionately as she tells Regina. "Thank you for taking such good care of him. His sister won't be able to do that again. She can try, but I've fixed it so that nothing will happen. Her efforts will be in vain, and my new little cousin will be safe and sound until it's time for his grand debut."

Regina chuckles dryly. "Eliana is not going to be happy, but thank you again. None of us was comfortable with that arrangement. I'm sure my nephew is happy to be back with Mummy."

Zelena smiles despite the return of pregnancy-related symptoms as she caresses her renewed baby bump. He seems calmer than when he was last with me. I hope it lasts for a while."

At home, fetching a round of ale for himself, Henry, Sr and their guests. Robin takes a moment to poke his head through the kitchen archway. Catching Regina's eye, he holds up a bottle of pinot noir, silently asking her a question.

On the verge of shaking her head no, she suddenly remembers, there's no longer any reason she can't enjoy a glass or two and nods instead.

Recognizing and fully comprehending, the reason for the silent flicker of indecision that is immediately followed by her sigh of relief and acceptance, he flashes his smile and returns to the kitchen to complete his task.

Back in the cave that houses the gateway to Tartarus, the Dark One is restrained, imprisoned by magically restrictive manacles he does not know how to free himself from. The concentration of power he feels emanating from his restraints is worrisome. Not for the first time in his life, or even the 1000th he silently wishes he could rid himself of the loathsome weakling Rumpelstiltskin. Sneering despite this fact, he answers his accusers. "Of course, I did it. Did you really think I wouldn't?" His eyes lock onto and bore into Zelena's. "You may have, but you didn't honestly believe I would forget about my boy – about what you did to him?"

Growling with unfettered rage and hatred, Hades rushes at him, shoulders forward, head down, intent on sending him flying into the fiery abyss of eternity, but before he feels the desired retaliatory collision, Gold's body is engulfed in teal colored flames.

As their prisoner's high-pitched screams of agony reverberate, echoing repeatedly off the cave walls, Hades glances backward over his shoulder to find that his wife has beaten him to the punch. Swiveling back around, he turns his eyes to their enemy once again.

She hasn't thrown an emerald-colored fireball as she normally would. Instead, her power presents itself as a flame that is a deep rich teal in color and still linked to her. Instead of a freely-thrown fireball, the flame emanates directly from the palm of her hand as if she has become the living embodiment of a flamethrower. She lets the fire burn unrestrained for an interminable long twenty-second countdown while she relishes in Gold's anguished cries of pain. Then, she extinguishes the flame and watches with venom in her smile as his body rapidly heals itself.

Leaning in close, for her ears only, Hades whispers, "You should have let me."

Zelena shakes her head, taking a moment to stare at her own hand in wonder before she whispers just as quietly. "I can't do that, my love. You're mortal now. Can't risk the chance he would've pulled you down into the pit with him. Our son is going to need his father. The only question now is, "What can we do with him? It infuriates me to no end to have to admit it, but I'm afraid my sister is right. "We can't kill him, and as much as I would enjoy it, I don't have time to come down here and torture him every day for the rest of eternity. Eliana already feels neglected. Our primary focus must be on her and her brother; not this degenerate malcontent.

Resisting, hungry for vengeance, Hades nods slowly but before he can speak the blinding flash of lightning followed by the cacophony of thunder that signifies his elder brother's arrival on scene interrupts them both.

"Perhaps I can offer a solution to your dilemma."

Hades turns on his heel, facing Zeus with barely tempered rage. "Oh, now you show up! I thought family meant something to you! Or is it just my branch of the family you're apathetic toward?"

"Careful with the accusations Hades. I assure you I'm not apathetic, I was momentarily busy; that is all. Whatever differences we may have, your children share my blood. I'm not about to allow harm to come to them if it is within my considerable power to prevent it. However, if you do not wish me to, once again, become apoplectic where you are concerned, you will adjust your tone before I change my mind."

Hades scowls, trying to ignore his own curiosity, but his intrigue quickly wins out. "Change your mind about what?"

"I came down here to extend an olive branch. You have finally shown that you know what it is to love another more than you love yourself; even more so than you love power. Such an unselfish act deserves recognition and reward – but if you're more interested in insulting me…"

Inhaling deeply, and counting to five, Hades steadies himself and his temper. "Never mind us. Can we set that aside for a moment?"

Zeus nods thoughtfully. "I'm willing."

"What would you suggest we do with him?" Hades jabs an accusatory index finger in Gold's direction as Zelena takes a moment to indulge in another glorious flame throwing exhibition.

The Dark One's host howls again in excruciating misery.

Releasing him a full thirty seconds later, Zelena smiles, getting used to the change in magical ability, and shrugs as if she's accepted a compromise. "That's not exactly what I was going for, but I'll take it."

Zeus tries to keep a straight face but still, the barest hint of a smile escapes him. "I think it's safe to say, you can expect a few other godlike boosts to your powers courtesy of my nephew, but unfortunately, as you've already ascertained, Regina is right. Killing him is not an option. However, now that you tortured him and taken rather obvious pleasure in doing it, you can't set him free either. Do that and, the feud between you will never stop. The children will never be safe. Therefore, only one acceptable resolution comes to mind. Rumpelstiltskin must no longer be the Dark One's host. A fitting punishment, I think given the fact that he craves power and strength above all else."

Instantly approving of the idea because it will amount to a lifelong torment for the man without his beast, Zelena still manages to raise a doubtful eyebrow. "But how to we accomplish that? The location of his dagger is his most closely guarded secret."

Zeus chuckles. "My dear sister, he has no secrets from me; no one does."

No longer resistant to the heat in this place, beads of perspiration form on his brow as Hades watches his brother step on the edge of the abyss were Rumpelstiltskin waits, wildly shaking his head; objecting to the end of life as he knows it.

The sovereign head Of Olympus waits for both parents to nod their consent before he raises both arms, extending them their full length over the top of his head. With his palms together, he turns his focus inward and calls for the Dark One's ancient blade. Amid a horrifying ghastly display of thunder and lightning the dagger flickers momentarily in an out of sight before materializing fully.

The blade glows molten hot and liquid fire traces the name etched in the blade as Zelena volunteers hopefully, "Let me?"

Zeus appears to give the request a moment's thought before shaking his head. "Though I understand the compulsion completely, that would not be wise, my dear. Your little one may be strong enough to give your powers a considerable boost, but he could not withstand such an event; not even if he did prevent you from taking in the darkness yourself. It's best left it to the power of a fully-grown god to entrap the beast in the blade."

Unaware of what's about to happen, Zelena raises an inquiring eyebrow.

Zeus hesitates for an agonizingly long moment before finally deciding to point an index finger in his brother's direction. "Don't make me regret this, Hades. The consequences of such an action will be dire."

Before either of them has the fraction of a second necessary to blink, a white-hot bolt of lightning explodes from Zeus' outstretched fingertip and slams full force into the chest of the former god of the underworld, knocking him backward off his feet onto the dirty floor of the cave and rendering him lifeless.

Zelena instantly hits her knees. Cradling Hades' crumpled gray body in her arms, she feels all warmth leave him as she screeches violently, "What if you done? You monster! It's not bad enough you have to lord your power over him, you have to…." She comes up short, completely taken aback in the very next instant, and is temporarily rendered speechless when she surprisingly feels her husband's hands, strong and warm with new life envelop the smaller, more delicate hand resting over his heart.

Hades struggles to open his eyes as he whispers thickly, "Shh, don't berate him, darling. It was necessary."

While Zelena squints in utter astonishment, the one she loves struggles to sit upright, wincing and rubbing the rapidly closing wound on his chest as he reaches out to steady himself; one hand against a cave wall while the other gently pats his wife's. "Though, you could have given me some warning, brother."

Zeus shrugs wholly unconcerned. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, warning you wouldn't have made it hurt any less."

Trembling visibly as much from the rush of adrenaline that came with his death as with her newfound joy, Zelena wails, her voice full of hot tears. "Well, you could've warned me, you brute! I didn't know he was going to come back!"

Zeus manages a look of contrition. "My apologies, sister. I assumed you understand. That's how it happens. It's the only way to restore a god to full power."

Hades rises to his feet, gently pulling his wife along with him and wraps her in a warm comforting embrace.

She clings to him, reveling in his warmth despite the rapidly evaporating scent of soot and cinders until something Zeus said slides home in her mind. She raises a hopeful eyebrow; her gaze traveling between the two males curiously. "Full power?"

Hades nods reassuringly before tangling his fingers in her ginger hair as he gently lifts her chin for a heated kiss.

Zeus watches the two of them for three seconds, until doing so becomes indiscreet, then clears his throat.

When he has his brother's attention, he lightly tosses the dagger. "I believe this rite is yours."

Hades eyes the heated dagger like a shark who smells fresh blood in the water.

Gold trembles pitifully inside his clattering restraints. Helpless to do anything else, he shakes his head violently, but in vain.

While the blade and the name etched there are still molten hot, Hades charges across the space between them; thrusting the blade deep into his enemy's heart, driving it in all the way to the hilt with the momentum and weight of his entire body behind it.

An incendiary burst of dusty red flames consumes them both and seemingly devours everything within its reach. For long moments, that's all Zelena I can see. Nothing else; just a mass of thick, opaque, dusty red flames that superheat the already unbearably hot temperature around them making it temporarily impossible to breathe, for fear of scorching one's own lungs. Just when she can wait no longer, just when her brain is screaming for oxygen, the temperature begins to fall back to its normal insufferable range. A moment longer, and the dense flames are not quite so impenetrable. Still another moment, and she can finally make out the tall, lean frame of her husband. When she can sense his movement within the flames, and knows that he is untouched by their heated fury, she smiles and forces herself to stand still and wait. Another moment later, and the inferno vanishes from sight as if it never existed at all.

As Hades steps back into his wife's outstretched arms, what's left of Storybrooke's most villainous coward clings limply to him; at least until Hades shakes him off and leaves him lying on the cave floor, his former restraints in a useless heap on the ground beside him are totally unnecessary. Rumpelstiltskin is no longer a threat to anyone, except for perhaps himself.

Before the married couple can locks lips again, Zeus clears his throat. "The dagger, if you please."

Handing it over, Hades queries, "What are you going to do with it?"

Zeus smacks the flat of the blade against his palm thoughtfully as he stares at the new inscription. Now a containment vessel, the dagger is, once again, emblazoned with its ancient lettering and the words 'Dark One."

"I'm going to lock it away behind an impenetrable army and maybe we'll get to enjoy a few 1000 eons before some ignorant fool gets brazen enough to try to claim it for his or herself." With that, he vanishes in a brilliant flash of lightning taking Bella and Fiona along with him as his voice thunders in his wake, "Use the restored power wisely Hades."

Full of warmth and vigor, the restored god mumbles his understanding incoherently before giving his full and undivided attention back to the radiant woman in his arms… much to Mr. Gold's displeasure.

Looking around their formal dining table, Robin and Regina share a warm smile with each other before returning their gazes to the eager faces of their children whose eyes are aglow with delight as they listen to boyhood tales of magical school days as told by their renowned dinner guests. With the main course complete, dinner plates have been pushed toward the center of the table to make room for dessert plates, coffee cups, and lively conversation.

When Ronald Weasley pauses in his current tale to help himself to a forkful from one of Regina's warm flaky apple turnovers and his ears go pink with embarrassment when he narrowly avoids missing his mouth and dropping the whole load into the napkin across his lap, Roland giggles from his place on the other side of the table. "That's okay Mr. Ron. The same thing happens to me all the time!"

From her seat next to him, Regina reaches out discreetly and pokes the boy gently in the ribs. When he squirms in response to her affectionate touch and giggles once more, she admonishes lightheartedly. "It happens to you so often because you're constantly trying to fit four bites worth onto the fork at once."

Smiling happily, Roland shrugs. "It's not my fault, Regina. You shouldn't make 'em taste so good!"

Norah objects boisterously as if she's afraid her mom might actually take the boy's suggestion to heart. "Uh-uh! Don't listen to him, Mama!"

Scowling at her brother, she explains, "If she makes them taste not so good, then it won't be so much fun to eat them! Just slow down Roro. Don't be such a piggy."

Before anyone can scold her for calling her brother names, she smiles brilliantly and announces with enthusiasm, "I wanna go to Hogwarts when I get big!"

Henry, Sr. and Regina both smile patiently, as does Robin, but his wife doesn't miss the noticeable glint of apprehension in his bright blue eyes when he chuckles and says from his end of the table, "Okay, but slow down there. Don't be in such a hurry, Firefly. You've got about seven years before we even need to start talking about you flying away to magic school."

"Daddy!" Norah protests from the seat at his right with a giggle of her own.

When a knock sounds at the front door, Regina's father rises from his seat at the other end of the table and discreetly excuses himself to go and answer it.

Moments later he returns with Snow and Belle following close behind.

Normally polite, Belle is too frazzled to bother with the uses of formality and etiquette at the moment. "Is Rumple here?"

Shaking her head, Regina spreads her arms wide gesturing toward those at the table and indicating his absence by default.

"He's not at home. He was in the shop a little while ago. Someone said they saw a woman that looked like me take him away magically. They knew it wasn't me because she just vanished… in a pink puff of air."

Regina nods. "That was Aphrodite."

Belle squints incredulously. "Aphrodite? What, as in the goddess of love?"

Regina nods again.

"What does she want with my Rumple?"

Regina inhales quietly, silently noting by the use of the possessive pronoun that the couple's on again-off again romance must be on again. "Aphrodite didn't want anything with him. She was just his escort to the underworld."

"The underworld!"

"Turns out he was complicit in the dementor attacks that have been happening. Some citizens of the underworld wanted to use Zelena and Hades' baby to attempt a resurrection spell. The Dark One secured passage for the dementors between their world and ours. Their intended role was to abduct Zelena before she gave birth to her son."

Noticing that Belle seems to be both weak-kneed and disgusted, the elderly monarch places a firm hand under her elbow and guides her into his empty seat at the table.

Belle props her chin in the palm of her hand and curls her fingers around her mouth. At length, she asks, "What is going to happen to him?"

Regina shakes her head. "I'm afraid we don't know. That's up to Hades and Zelena. Hades relinquished his power for the sake of his children. That's where things stood when we left."

"Regina, how could you? You just left Rumple to fend for himself?"

"Against a defunct god, and one witch… Even so, I'll admit, the odds aren't exactly in his favor, but I made it perfectly clear that I would not cross the line between protecting their child and helping them kill the one who facilitated his abduction."

"Oh, well good for you?" Belle snaps with sudden hostility. "Thanks for that. Don't let a little thing like impending murder interrupt your dinner party."

"Now, just a minute!" Regina says quietly with the ice in her words. "I'm not going to sit here and advocate for vigilante justice, but he did assist Fiona and another witch with their plan to murder an innocent baby. He's still angry, as he has every right to be, because Zelena killed Neal, but the three of them have got to settle this feud amongst themselves. Gold can't go around helping people snatch babies, something will have to be done with him. It's not like we can put him in one of this world's standard prisons and expect it to hold him. Nor do I think Zelena will kill him. I don't think she wants to be the Dark One. That would be a huge step back for her, and even though she'd sooner gouge out her own eyes than admit it, I think she knows that."

Belle sighs with resignation. "I don't know whether to be terrified that they took him, or be absolutely livid that he clearly didn't stop to think about the repercussions of his actions. "I know one child can never replace another, but he has another son to think of. Gideon needs his father."

Regina nods. "All the children touched by this nightmare need their parents."

"So, what are we supposed to do? Sit and wait? For how long?"

Regina shrugs, but before she can offer any other form of answer, a black oily stain begins to form on the floor a few feet away as Lord Death's portal from the underworld opens up and ejects a frazzled, beleaguered Rumpelstiltskin who fumbles wildly, unsteady on his feet, until the closing portal widens just enough to also eject his elegant walking cane.

Snagging it midair, and leaning on it heavily, as if he is in great pain, Mr. Gold announces, "Thank the gods! They booted me out before they tore each other's clothes off!" He sneers in response to his newest surroundings when he realizes where he is. "Though, I have no idea why they sent me here!"

Regina bites her lower lip to keep from laughing. "Don't worry about it, Gold. That's just my sister's way of letting me know that she didn't kill you. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

He limps toward the front door, reaching out for his ex-wife's hand as he goes. Snidely, he tosses over his shoulder, "Thanks for the help, Regina!"

She lifts her chin in indignation and chides, calling out after him. "You're still breathing, aren't you?"

The front door slams behind him and, wholly unbothered by his rude exit, Regina offers Snow the practiced smile of a gracious hostess. "Pull up a seat. Want some dessert?"