Graham and Ruby were both still at the sheriff station at eight o'clock that night going over photographs and exchanging handwritten notes that they'd taken that day at the forensics lab. Tests had been rerun on the objects found at the crime scene and, as it turned out, no actual fingerprints had been found on them. Until and unless Dr. Hopper remembered something that could give them a lead, it seemed that their best chance at finding a suspect would be figure out who tampered with the evidence.

At around 8:10, Sidney Glass bolted through the door, knocking over a lamp in the process, and then proceeded to slam it and lock it shut.

Graham immediately stood up. "What's the emergency?"

"There…there isn't one."

"Then I'm afraid it will have to wait until morning, Mr. Trapp. My deputy and I are terribly busy."

"I know who tried to frame Helena for the murder of Dr. Archie Hopper."

"Have a seat."

Fifteen minutes after that, Graham was taking mug shots of Sidney while Ruby was putting the objects she'd collected from Sidney's pockets into a drawer.

"Please understand that this is for your own protection," said Ruby as Graham locked the cell door shut. "If Mayor Mills comes here to do another one of her little security checks, for all intense and purposes, you confessed to the crime. You'll be released as soon as we have her behind bars."

Graham shoved his keychain into his pocket. "That was good thinking, Ruby. Grab your walkie talkie and your handgun."

"Do you really think she'll try to come here while you're out?"

Graham handed her a pack of bullets. "You're coming with me. First we'll check her home. Then the office."

"Are you sure this is really necessary? Both of us being loaded?"

"This woman framed Helena for murder, Ruby. We have no idea what she's capable of."

A few minutes later, Graham and Ruby changed their plans when they saw that the light in the mayor's office was still on. The door to the building was wide open.

"She's probably expecting us," whispered Graham as he drew his firearm. Ruby followed suit. They quietly snuck up the stairs. The office that they both knew belonged to the mayor was closed.

"Mayor Mills!" shouted Graham. "We know you're in there. Please exit the room unarmed, with your hands above your head."

Nothing happened. A few minutes went by.

"I'm opening the door," whispered Graham. "Cover me."

The office door, too, was unlocked.

But what Graham and Ruby found inside was a lit office with a ransacked desk and filing cabinet. The mayor was nowhere to be found.

By noon the next day, Graham conclusively determined that wherever the mayor was, she was hiding, and somehow she had figured out that Sidney had betrayed her. So Graham and Ruby put up flyers around town offering a thousand-dollar reward for the capture of Mayor Mills, stating on the flyers only that she was the lead suspect in the kidnapping of Dr. Hopper and may or may not be suspected of murder. Helena and Virginia, who'd decided to stop by the hospital to bring Dr. Hopper a basket of fruit, happened upon one of these flyers in the lobby. They stood in front of it reading it silently for a few minutes before Helena asked Virginia if she thought her mother would try to contact her.

"If she did, that wouldn't be very wise," said Virginia in a way that managed to sound both firm and uncertain.

Helena didn't say anything as they continued making their way to the elevator. She had personally removed many a child from an abusive home and listened to them cry for their parents and beg her not to punish them. Virginia's situation was different, of course. She was an adult, and she had chosen to leave. But it hadn't been easy for her at first. And now her mother was wanted for kidnapping. In the event that the mayor did come to Virginia for help, would she really be able to turn her away?

"Ms. Stable? Wait!"

Michael Zimmer was jogging across the lobby towards Helena. She stopped and waited for him.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I was just hand-delivering a gift for Dr. Hopper myself. But I just wanted to let you know that I finally got the parts in for your brother's car. It should be ready for pickup tomorrow morning."

"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you so much."

"It's no trouble. It's the least I can do after all you've been through."

"I really appreciate this. How much is it going to cost?"

"Your brother already gave me his credit card information," Mr. Zimmer assured Helena. "It's already been taken care of. I'm…uh…really sorry it took this long. It's an old car."

"How well does it run now?"

"As well as if it had never needed major repairs in the first place."

"So I should be able to drive it long distances if I need to?" Helena felt Virginia look at her.

"Absolutely." Mr. Zimmer glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I've got to run. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Helena."

"Thanks again!"

Regina was seated on the back of a sleek chestnut. The horse Daniel was riding, a black mare, pawed at the ground anxiously, jostling the saddle a bit. Daniel looked down at his worn leather riding gloves and adjusted his grip on the reins.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Daniel called.

The fifteen-year-old horsewoman gulped. "I've been taking riding lessons with you for a year and a half; you tell me!"

"Then yes!" said Daniel . "You've got to learn how to ride at a full gallop at some point!"

"How does it feel?"

"Not that different from a canter. Just a bit bouncier. Nothing you can't handle."

"Have you…have you done this here before?"

"Of course I have," said Daniel. "You see that apple tree over there? The second you pass it, you start slowing him down. Then we stop at the top of the little hill. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Okay now…go!"

Daniel kicked Flutterdash forward and urged her into a run. Regina followed suit on Rocinante. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the chestnut stallion was enjoying this run a little too much.

"Daniel!" Regina screamed. "I can't stop him! He won't stop!"

"Just…just hang on!" he shouted back.

The horses' hooves pounded up and over the hill that ended a quarter mile past the apple tree. Both of them were breathing hard and Flutterdash was actively fighting to slow down. Daniel urged her along. When the two horses were finally parallel to each other, Daniel leaned over and grabbed Regina around the waist. She instinctively slid her feet out of the stirrups and threw her arms around Daniel's neck. Rocinante took off out from under Regina. Daniel's horse was more than happy to slow down to a canter immediately, but both Regina and Daniel fell and landed side by side on the grass anyway.

"I'm so, so sorry!" Daniel yelled. "Are you okay?"

"That…was amazing!" stammered Regina through deep hard breaths. "Don't you ever make me do that again!"

Daniel sat up and pulled Regina up next to him. "I won't, I promise! Just…catch your breath."

Regina smiled and rested her head on Daniel's solid shoulder for a moment. Then she looked up at him, at those concerned blue-grey eyes that she loved so much.

And then she kissed him.

After five seconds, Daniel withdrew, surprised. "Regina, I…" She bit her lip and looked down. Then he kissed her. This time they both held on longer.

Regina pulled back when she felt a horse's wet lips graze the top of her head. Flutterdash and Rocinante were standing beside them looking on innocently. Regina's face suddenly turned pale and she began glancing around.

"Did anyone see us?"

Daniel laughed. "The horses apparently did."

Regina sat up and grabbed the stable boy by his shoulders.

"Daniel, this is serious. No one can ever find out. Especially not my mother. Okay? Promise me that you won't tell anyone."

"I promise."

"You promise what?"

Daniel blinked his eyes a few times. He looked around. He was in his cell. Henry was there. He wasn't really on a horse, or in a forest, or with Regina. He was on his cot. In his cell. At the hospital. Inside.

And somehow, he had managed to hypnotize himself without even Henry's help this time.

"What's going on?" asked Henry.

They heard the lock on their door click. "I'll tell you later."

Henry sat up. "What the hell? It can't be lunchtime already."

When Helena walked into the room, Daniel shot Henry an I-told-you-so glance that neither of the siblings caught because they were hugging each other.

"You weren't here on Wednesday," said Henry softly. "I was worried."

"It's okay." Helena's voice caught in her throat as she responded. It was then that Henry realized that she was as relieved to see him as he was to see her.

"What happened?" he asked. "Where were you?"

"I was…helping them look for Dr. Hopper. He's been found."

Henry sighed, pulled out of his sister's embrace, and looked down at her sternly.

"What? He has!"

"That's great," Henry replied, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Where were you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I would never believe anything that sounds even remotely ridiculous to anybody else?"

"I was in jail!" Helena finally blurted out. "I was…well some people thought that I was the one who attacked Dr. Hopper. But it wasn't me. I was framed." Helena watched Henry's eyes widen with surprise.

"Who do you think would do that to you?"

Helena hesitated. She hated to say the next part, because she knew it would add fuel to his beliefs, but Henry could always tell when she was lying. Besides, judging by the look on his face, he had already jumped to conclusions.

"Graham thinks it was the mayor."

Henry sat back down on his cot and pulled Helena down with him. "Okay, what exactly happened? Why did Mayor Mills try to frame you for murder? And more importantly, how did she fail?"

"I honestly don't know any of the specifics," said Helena. "From the little that I know, everything was going according to plan until Dr. Hopper somehow escaped yesterday morning. In any case, now no one knows where she is."

Henry didn't need any additional information about this case to know that there was no way in hell that Dr. Hopper had just "somehow escaped" from the woman who had cursed an entire population.

"Most people knew I was innocent the whole time, though," Helena went on in an attempt to change the subject. "Graham and Ruby were very kind to me. So were the Golds. Mr. Gold even offered to be my lawyer."

Henry tensed up again. "Wait, Mr. Gold got involved in all this? What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything bad. He just told me that if I promised him a favor he'd act as my lawyer for free for as long as necessary, and then…"

Henry backed away from Helena and put his palm to his forehead. The nurse who'd been standing in the doorway the whole time moved closer to Henry and stood at the ready to intervene.

"I'm sorry," said Helena. "I should go. I'll see you on Monday, Henry."

Helena slipped out of her brother's hospital room and quickly exited the psychiatric ward. The nurse stayed in the doorway for another ten minutes before she closed and locked the door.

Two hours later, the nurses returned to Daniel and Henry's room to inform them that they were taking Daniel to the next cell over for a few minutes, because Henry had a very special visitor.

"That's impossible," said Henry out loud. "Dr. Hopper can't be back to work already."

"It's…not him," said the nurse who was already nervously moving about the room straightening up the few items in there. "It's someone else."

Henry did his best to straighten himself up and then sat back and waited. He was fairly certain that his visitor could only be one of two people, and he was correct.

"It's been awhile, Mr. Stable," said Mr. Gold once the nurses were out of the room and had shut the door. "How's life in captivity?"

Henry glared. "What are you doing here?"

"All right, all right, I'll get to the point. I came here to assure you that your sister is safe." Henry looked at the older man doubtfully. "Helena was never truly in danger of being imprisoned. Not with me in her corner."

"What are you planning to do to her now that she's free?"

"Do to her? Whatever do you mean by that?"

Henry shook his head. "Helena may not know who you really are, Mr. Gold. But I do."

"And who's that, exactly?"

Henry wasn't sure what do say next. Did Mr. Gold even know that he was really Rumpelstiltskin?

"A very cunning, very dangerous man," Henry finally said.

"Right you are, Mr. Stable. That's why it's nice to have me on your side."

"Do I have you on my side?"

"I have been on your side for longer than you could possibly imagine." Mr. Gold knocked on the door, where a nurse had been instructed to wait for him. As it cracked open, he turned back to Henry. "It shall all become very clear to you soon."

The following morning, Helena went to Granny's for breakfast alone. She would have invited Virginia to come with her, but the other woman was gone before she woke up. The only trace she'd left behind was a note on the table instructing Helena to come down to the barn in the afternoon because Virginia had a surprise for her.

"Hey."

Helena looked up as Kayla plunked herself down in the other side of the booth.

"Hi," said Helena, setting the paper aside. Kayla glanced at it. "I guess Mayor Mills didn't have any kind of second-in-command."

"Of course she didn't. She wanted to be queen. She wouldn't have shared any of her power with anyone." Kayla folded her arms on the edge of the table and lowered her voice. "You have to talk to Graham."

"Why?"

"He hasn't organized any kind of search party for Mayor Mills. This means he's stopped looking for her. He can't do that."

Helena took a sip of her coffee. "Why not? He and Ruby have other things to do. Besides, I'm sure that wherever the mayor is, she's long gone."

"No she's not. She would never leave the town she created. A queen does not leave her own kingdom."

"She does when she's wanted for treason," Helena countered. "Kayla, Mayor Mills is a lot of things, but she's not stupid. The only reason why she would choose to stay in the one town where she cannot possibly go anywhere without being recognized right now would be if she wanted to go to jail."

"Or if she thought that she had some sort of magic that could put everything back the way she wanted it!" Helena sighed. "They can't stop looking for the witch, Helena. We can't let them. And if they do, we have to go out and look for her ourselves."

Helena sighed. "I'll see what I can do. I have to go now. Are your parents around here?"

"They're over at the library."

"The library is closed on Saturdays."

"I know. Mama needed to let Papa in so that he could do some research for some trip he's planning."

"Okay," said Helena. "When you see your parents, tell them I'd like to stop by later today if that's all right."

"Sure."

"Helena, I'm sorry," said Dr. Hopper. "I'm afraid Henry is nowhere near ready to be released from the hospital."

"I'm not talking about having him released. I'm talking about having him transferred to a facility in Boston. Some place where I can visit him every day after work."

Dr. Hopper adjusted his sitting position in the hospital bed and met Helena with a serious gaze.

"I know that what I'm about to tell you isn't what you want to hear, but I've got to be honest with you. Your brother…he's a model inmate. The nurses are always talking about how easy he is to deal with and how well he gets along with his roommate. But he's not a model patient. It took me weeks to get him to the point where he would take our therapy sessions seriously enough to talk about what he's been through. It could take me months or even years to get him to fully open up to questioning his fundamental beliefs about…you know. What I'm trying to say is, if you have him transferred to a larger facility in Boston, chances are that they'll give him roughly the same so-called treatment that Dr. Aras gives his patients. He'll be taken care of, but he won't ever get any better. Anytime you're not with him, he'll be a meaningless statistic."

"Well, then, what about a private facility?"

"That might be a little out of your price range. And even if you found something like that for him tomorrow, you would be setting his progress back by a month. Is that really worth it?"

Helena shook her head and exhaled.

"Now, if you feel the need to return home to Boston, it's perfectly understandable. You have your own life to live. But I'm afraid that the only thing I can recommend for Henry at this point in time is to remain exactly where he is. I promise you that if he continues behaving, he'll be transferred to minimum security soon. He'll be in a much more stimulating environment. You'll be able to come see him whenever you like."

Helena met the doctor's expectant gaze with a nod.

"I'll need to think about this," she said quietly.

"I understand," replied the doctor with a smile that told her he knew she was going to do the right thing.

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Helena as she nervously took the reins from the stable owner.

"Absolutely!" He patted the broad shoulder of the grey mare Helena was perched bareback on. "Flutterdash is an old girl. Barely moves. If you feel like making her go forward, just give her a kick."

"Come over here!" called Virginia, who was at the other end of the fenced pasture on the bare back of an old stallion.

"No, thank you! I think I'll just stay here for a few minutes."

"Suit yourself!" Virginia grinned, turned away from Helena, and nudged her own horse forward. "Come on, Rocinante!" When the chestnut began to run, Virginia sat straight up, grabbed some of the horse's long mane along with her reins, and used her legs to steer the horse in a large, graceful loop around the pasture. After a minute, the horse slowed back down to a walk.

"Have you been taking riding lessons and not telling me about it?" called Helena.

"No!" said Virginia even as she was steering the chestnut stallion over to where Helena and Flutterdash remained stationary. "I have no idea where that came from!" Flutterdash bent over to nibble some grass. Rocinante followed suit.

"This is nice," said Helena. "Definitely an experience that I never would have had in Boston."

"I'll bet that there are a lot of things you don't have in Boston. Small businesses where everyone knows everyone…fresh apple pie…hot sheriffs particularly determined to protect you…"

"…Mayors who have your brother institutionalized and try to have you framed for murdering the doctor who's trying to help him."

Neither one of the women said anything for a moment.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Virginia finally blurted out.

"Yeah. Probably Monday after my next visit with Henry." Virginia looked down and fiddled with the horse's mane "We'll keep in touch, of course. I'll call you as soon as I get a new phone in Boston."

"You promised me that you weren't going anywhere until you got Henry back."

"I'm not leaving forever," said Helena. "I'll be back there to visit. A lot. After all, my entire family lives here now. Henry. Kayla. You."

Virginia forced a hint of a smile, which Helena returned. Helena wished that there was some way she could stay with everyone she cared about in Storybrooke without living in the town where she'd been a part of so many things that had gone wrong.

"I have to go pick up the car," Helena suddenly said, not wanting to think about this any longer. "Do you want to come with me?"

"No thank you. I'll see you back at the apartment in a few hours. I'm not done riding." Then she nudged her horse again and cantered away.

Yep, thought Helena. Definitely been taking riding lessons.