Streams of light poured in through the window, pulling Emma from her deep sleep. She groaned, turning away from the light. She felt like she had slept for days, and yet, that wasn't long enough to quell the throbbing pain in her head. Stretching, Emma sat up and opened her eyes. She froze. Where was she?

Blinking a few times with several deep breaths to steady herself, Emma began to recognize her surroundings. She was in the sheriff's office. Sighing in relief, Emma looked over through the bars at the jail. She gasped. Staring through the bars at her were the tiny, piercing eyes of Mr. Gold. Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. Mr. Gold kidnapping her. Regina coming to her rescue. Taking the bullet. She choked back a sob. Regina. Where was Regina? And when had she arrested Gold?

Emma rushed to the bars, fury filling her eyes. "Regina! Where is she?"

"Oh, how lovely." Mr. Gold's voice dripped with disdain. "So considerate to think of our dear mayor first after several days passed out yourself. And an awful demanding tone for your… predicament." His face took on a terrible look of mock sadness.

Several days? Predicament? What. The. Hell. Emma examined her surroundings further, and sucked in a breath. Her initial assessment of her situation had been decidedly incorrect. Mr. Gold wasn't in jail. She was.

"Let. Me. Out." Emma demanded. She had never been so furious in her entire life. What right had he? After he had… "And I asked you a question. Regina?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, dearie." Mr. Gold's eyes took on an evil sparkle, "Not when you're being held for her murder."

"Her—her murder? She's dead!?" Emma fell back on the cot. "No—no! WHAT. DID. YOU. DO.?!"

"It's a shame, really. That you couldn't attend the services, I mean. They were quite lovely. Just the sort of thing you would have liked, too, given how you have been at her throat since day one."

Emma's hands flew to her ears. "No!" But it was like watching a train wreck. She couldn't stop listening to Gold's taunting. Terrible though it was, he was her only source of information on the events of the days she had spent passed out in the cell.

"Yes, it wasn't hard to figure out that you and the mayor had gotten into some kind of spat. And that you couldn't resist the urge to finally rid yourself of her nuisance forever. What did you think you'd gain from it? The boy?"

Emma stiffened at the mention of Henry.

"Well, not to worry. He's safely at Miss Blanchard's place. For now."

"Bastard! What do you mean by that?" Emma's voice was full of despair and anger all at once.

"Quite simple, dearie. As soon as you killed off Old Regina, and were implicated yourself, we needed replacements for your positions. Ruby was the natural choice as sheriff. She'll be by later to check on you. And I…"

"No!"

"I was the natural replacement for mayor. I do own this town, after all. Who better to look after its interests?"

"You'll never get away with this! YOU killed Regina, and you know it. I know it." Her eyes gleamed in a tiny bit of satisfaction.

"Oh, but I will dearie. Because if you EVER talk to ANYONE about the events of that night… well. Must I remind you that Miss Blanchard has nolegal right to Henry?"

Emma gasped. He—wouldn't. Oh, but he would. She sunk back against the wall, defeated.

"That's what I thought. Enjoy your day, Miss Swan." He stood up from the chair of what used to be her desk, and limped out of the office.

…

Henry hadn't been to school since before his mom's death. The first day following, school had been called off. Losing the mayor in a small town was kind of a big deal, and the school gave the kids time off to deal with any grief they might be harboring. The few days after that Henry had simply refused to go, and Mary Margaret didn't press. Essentially losing both mothers in one swoop had to be terrible.

So that afternoon Henry was sitting at the kitchen table at Mary Margaret's, staring off into space with tears streaming down his face. He was at least up and dressed today—he didn't see how anyone could ask any more of him than that.

His mom hadn't kept her promise. She hadn't saved Emma. Instead, Regina was dead, and Emma had shot her. Allegedly. Henry had seen Mr. Gold kidnap Emma—he was sure there was more to the story than he knew. He had always known that his real mom disliked Regina, but she never would have killed her. Would she?

Henry shook his head. This was exactly the kind of thinking Mr. Gold would like to encourage. Which was exactly why he had to rid himself of it.

And even worse—the death of the Evil Queen, which he had counted on for so long, had not only taken his mother from him, but had also failed to break the curse. He had been wrong. Emma had killed Regina, and still they were stuck in Storybrooke. They were stuck in Storybrooke with the most terrible of endings imaginable. No the curse—if there even was one, was definitely still enacted. And that only made Henry more miserable. Only too late, he realized how much his mother—how much Regina—had meant to him. And how awful he'd been to her at times.

Fresh tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as Mary Margaret reentered her apartment after another dismal day at school. She rushed over to him and embraced him, rubbing his back soothingly.

Mary Margaret had been doing her best to comfort Henry over the past few days, but how do you comfort a boy who has lost two moms? Even more terrible: whose birth mother was accused of killing his adopted mother.

The schoolteacher shook her head sadly. The whole town was filled with a sort of quiet disbelief. How could Emma have done such a thing? But it was almost believable given Emma and Regina's past. Almost. And that's why no one questioned Mr. Gold.

She still couldn't believe how quickly things could change in such a small town. Emma was in jail. Regina dead. Mr. Gold had announced his reluctant candidacy for mayor a day later, and no one dared run against him. He appointed Ruby sheriff, and no one questioned. And where did that leave the people of the town? Where did that leave Henry? Devastated. With little consolation.

Mary Margaret looked down at the shrunken boy in front of her. She wanted desperately to tell him something to cheer him up. "You could go see her, you know?" That wasn't it.

Henry looked up at his teacher. "Emma?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "I know you don't believe she—that she's responsible. Why don't you go talk to her?" She didn't know how wise it was to send the young boy to see an accused murderer, but… it was Emma. Her friend. His mother.

For the first time in days, she glimpsed something akin to determination in Henry's eyes. It reminded her so much of both of his parents that she gasped. He grabbed his coat and walked hesitantly to the door. "I'll—I'll be back later." With that, he left.

…

Henry rushed into the sheriff's office. "Ruby, can I… I need… time alone…" he glanced over at Emma desperately.

Ruby gave him a sympathetic look. "I don't think I can…" She looked over at Emma, who was giving her a pained, pleading look. The same look that was mirrored in Henry's eyes. "Oh, alright. But I'll be back soon." She glanced down at the historically precocious and mischievous child, "And I'm taking THESE with me." She grabbed the keys off of her desk before turning on her heels and rushing out.

"Emma!" Henry rushed over to the cell.

"Hey, kid." She smiled sadly, reaching out between the bars and squeezing his shoulder gently. "I—I heard about… I'm sorry."

Henry looked up at her with a pained expression. Tears gleamed in his eyes, but he was trying desperately to hold them back.

"You know, though, I didn't have anything to do with…" Emma trailed off.

"I know." Henry said softly. And in that instant, he did. "He did it, didn't he?"

Emma nodded sadly.

"Why are you in here then? Tell everyone you didn't do it. You know they'll believe you. The whole town wants to believe in you."

Emma shook her head. "It's not as simple as that, kid. Mr. Gold was in here this morning. He said some… pretty awful things. If I tell anyone anything…" She paused and took in her son, his fierceness and determination. She was so proud of him. "I might lose you."

Henry's eyes widened. "He—he threatened you with me?"

"Kid, listen to me. You need to hear this, but you can't repeat it to anyone. Your mom…" Emma shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"I know you didn't kill her."

"It's—more than that. That shot… that bullet. It was meant for me. Your mom—she jumped in front of me. She saved me. Henry, if anyone in this town was a White Knight, it was her. Your mom was a hero."

Henry's jaw dropped, before he looked down sadly. "She kept her promise," he whispered in disbelief, before turning toward the door. He turned back only once, jaw set and eyes filled with determination, "I willget you out." Then he ran out that door.

"Just be careful," Emma whispered sadly. But he was already gone.

…

Ruby entered the sheriff's office a short time later. She looked over to the only other occupant of the building. Emma had a strange look on her face—something between sadness and… pride? Ruby shook her head. This town had gotten so screwed up in only a few short days. She wanted desperately to believe in Emma, but…

Emma was the first one to speak. "I can't believe that bastard had the funeral without me."

Ruby scoffed. "Why would you have wanted to attend? To survey your handiwork?"

Ruby had clearly hit a nerve as Emma's eyes widened in pain. She looked like she had been physically assaulted as she stumbled backwards. "Of course not, Ruby. How could you even say that?!"

"What else am I supposed to believe Emma?"

"I—I wanted to be at the funeral at least. To—to say goodbye. To thank her." Emma looked thoroughly defeated. "To see her face, one last time."

Ruby smiled sadly. "Couldn't have done that anyway. Closed casket." She tried to lighten the mood with the joke, but Emma's reaction was something she wasn't expecting.

"Are you freaking kidding me?! Closed casket? And you just TOOK the son of a bitch's word for it?"

Confusion filled Ruby's eyes.

"Ruby, listen to me," Emma stepped forward and draped her arms through the bars, eyes intent on Ruby's. "You HAVE to let me out."

"What—no! What the hell Emma? You know I can't do that. I won't!"

"Ruby, look at me. I need to see something. It would really help your investigation if you would let me out so that we could go look at it together. I'll even let you keep me 'cuffed." Her eyes took on a dark look. "But if you don't, I WILL find a way to check out my hunch." Emma's eyes searched Ruby's. "Please?"

Ruby sighed. "You will keep the handcuffs on. And we will come straight back here afterward." She turned toward the desk to grab the keys again, whispering to herself, "I am SO getting fired for this."

…

Mary Margaret sat in a booth in Granny's diner across from Henry, trying to pick her jaw up off the table. Henry had just finished spinning the tale of what, according to him, had really happened that night between Regina, Emma, and Mr. Gold. And she had NO IDEA what to believe. Both accounts of the events of that evening seemed equally fantastical to her. Emma shooting Regina? Regina saving Emma? Both seemed unlikely.

"You HAVE to believe me," Henry pleaded. "I just talked to Emma, and between what I saw that night and what she told me…" he trailed off.

Part of Mary Margaret wondered if he believed this version simply because it was easier. "Alright," she reached out and placed her hand over his comfortingly. "I still don't know what to think. But I'll go talk to Emma if it'll make you feel better. We'll see if we can sort this out."

Henry's eyes took on a look that might almost have approached happiness, had Mary Margaret not known better. She put money down on the table for their cocoas, and fixed Henry with a stern look. "Go to my place, and stay put," she said firmly. "For your own safety… please?"

He nodded and ran out the door just ahead of her.

…

Mary Margaret walked into the sheriff's office, expecting a bubbly Ruby to bound out at any moment. But the building was eerily quiet. She gasped as she entered the dark room.

Mr. Gold stood alone in the middle of an open jail cell. An otherwiseempty jail cell. He wore a look on his face that stood somewhere between angry and smug.

"Where IS she?" Mary Margaret hissed accusingly.

"Funny, I might have asked you the same question, Miss Blanchard." Mr. Gold shot her a half smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I know nothing."

"Clearly. Why ARE you here, Miss Blanchard? I think you've been talking to the wrong people. How much has Emma told you?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "I haven't seen Emma since before…"

"Ah. Then how much has HENRY told you?"

The schoolteacher's eyes widened in fear.

"That's right, my dear. I think if you head back to your apartment, you'll find that the little informant is no longer in your custody. A pity. To lose both moms and your town in under a week." But Gold's sadness was definitely false.

"No!" Mary Margaret turned and ran out the door as Mr. Gold chuckled lightly.

…

At the graveyard, Ruby was doing most of the digging. It was difficult for Emma to wield a shovel in her handcuffs. Ruby fixed her with a glare.

"Hey, I offered to help, but you insisted on keeping the suspect locked up." Emma shot her a grim look. "A wise choice, I might add."

Ruby was nervous. She didn't want to be digging in a graveyard with dusk falling all around. She didn't want to have a suspect in custody that definitely shouldn't be out of her jail cell. And, most of all, she didn't want to deal with the wrath that she was sure she would incur if Gold were to catch them now.

So Ruby didn't think. She just kept digging until her shovel hit its goal with a solid THUMP.

…

Mary Margaret ran to her apartment as fast as her legs would carry her. She threw open the door. "Henry?!" she called anxiously. "Henry?!"

He was gone.

…

The coffin now lay next to its headstone. The headstone gleamed white in the pale moonlight. 'Regina Mills, beloved mayor and mother' was etched into its smooth surface.

Ruby looked into Emma's eyes, before lifting the coffin's lid.

One glance, and Ruby's eyes held a look of surprised horror. She threw the lid completely off.

Ruby and Emma exchanged glances over the yawning black emptiness.