Thank you for the likes, kudos, and comments

And for those who were wondering how Elsa got into this without being dead, that's the first order of business...

The usual disclaimers...

Comments are my lifeblood...

Previously: Both villains and heroes confronted The Author, who promised them altered stories of their lives, provided the complete certain tasks designed to force them to work together. The Author also singled out Emma for not being as much of a Saviour even though she was saving Regina, the Evil Queen. When the group came back and went into Granny's, there was shock and surprise when a group of characters, long-thought dead or vanished, were seated at a table, very much alive...

Prologue Act 2

The last thing they remembered...

Cora Mills was dying in arms of her daughter...

Zelena Mills was dying on the floor of the Storybrooke jail after being stabbed by Rumplestiltskin...

Neal was dying in the arms of the mother of his child...

Ingrid Sarah Fisher was sacrificing her life about to explode in a flurry of ice and snow...

Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, was not dying, but going to sleep in her bed after being kissed on the forehead by her sister...

Robin, Marian, and their son Roland, also not dying. were settling down in a tent at their encampment somewhere in Sherwood Forest.

They all awoke this morning in rooms at Granny's Inn, Storybrooke, ME.

There were screams, bellowings of "what the fuck," and such. The "dead" did not even have the luxury of meeting whoever one would meet at afterlife orientation. They just basically, for lack of a better term, wound up back where they started.

The eight stumbled out of their rooms, totally confused, just in time to meet an equally confused...not to mention, pissed off...Eugenia Lucas wondering how eight freeloaders wound up in her bed and breakfast.

So they all trotted downstairs to the front desk where Granny checked the records. Not only were they all booked in properly, but they we all paid for for the next two months.

Granny then called in Ruby, who doesn't remember checking anyone in. Granny then check the financial ledger and the cash box. They were all paid for. Plus, apparently, a generous tip.

Not to mention that in all of this, there also visual changes. Ingrid was in her Sarah Fisher garb, only a bit more modern. as were Robin and Marian. Young Roland looked like he just stepped out of GAP Kids, with Elsa seemed to have done her shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch or H&M. The braids were gone as well...long, straight blonde hair in its place. Cora's hair was also down, close to the modern look she had when she first reunited with her her garb suggested, at least, Neiman-Marcus.

Not to mention one other article each seem to now have tucked away in a pocket: a shiny new smartphone. Ingrid seemed to know more about the strange devices and everyone in the group looked upon her as sort of tech support.

All in all, one would think they would be startled or amazed. But to them, it was like a long sleep and they just woke up. No dreams or pre-awake thoughts. It was...they were in one place, the awoke in another.

Then there were unresolved issues. Marian being frozen by Ingrid with a curse still coursing thru her. Ingrid's issues with Elsa. And Zelena. When the name Cora Mills was mentioned, the Wicked Witch realized that woman was the mother who abandoned her. It was all she could do keep anger from rising and her skin to turn green again.

And as they stood at the counter, Marian looked ill. Robin would take his wife and child back to the room they came in. Ingrid offered to help, since she was the cause of Marian's discomfort, but Robin refused, still angry at the Snow Queen for what she had done. As the family of outlaws returned to their rooms, Cora suggested something for the rest to eat. Granny motioned one of the other waitresses to seat them, while Eugenia and Ruby frantically tried to call the Mayor and the Sheriff to alert them that several of their bad dreams have shown up again...

And so they sat. They got their menus. They were silent. No one wanted to say anything. Neal was the first to speak up about how they got there. No one knew the answer to that one, which was understandable. Then they started talking about the last thing they remembered before they went out. Then Zelena talked about Rumpelstiltskin and the knife and Neal stood up for his dad, then Cora and her abandoning Zelena was mentioned, Ingrid chastised the three about how lucky they should be to actually have a family, that all she wanted was a family that loved her, then Elsa had to mention Shattered Sight, and suddenly the table sounded like one of those eight-way conversations on CNN about the pros and cons of the Keystone XL pipeline when two thuds were heard. The five stopped squabbling, turned and saw that the thuds were made by Regina Mills and Mr. Gold hitting the diner floor in dead faints...

No one said a word. Cru and Ursula were the only newcomers to the town and probably wondering why the others seemed frozen in their steps and rapt astonishment. Suddenly, both Gold and Regina went down to the floor in a hard faint. As others rushed to their aide, the only thing that may have kept Emma from joining the pair was an urgent sounding beep emanating from her wireless. The Sheriff whips it out and reads the message.

"WTMW NEWS. 5:21PM TONIGHT. YOUR FIRST TASK."

And it's 4:00 now...

Emma cared less about the cryptic text, or the five people in front of her. The Sheriff knelt down next to Regina and a distraught Henry. Belle also knelt to tend to Rumple. Everyone else in the diner seemed to be in a state of suspended animation. Granny and Red showed up with huge glasses of water for Rumple and Regina, respectively. They both came to, and realized it was not a dream. For Rumplestiltskin, it was something he knew he did not deserve, the return of his son. Neal...Baefire...got up from his seat at the table, rushed toward his father, and both men collapsed in tears as that embraced each other. Seeing what was in front of her, Belle put her arms around both men. Rumple looked up at the beautiful smiling face of Belle and kissed her gently but fully.

In the middle of all this, Neal looked over to see the smiling face of Emma, but she was at Regina's side. Neal knew at that point Emma would not leave Regina. He knew he was now in the friend zone. Still, right now, he can think of no better place to be.

It was a mixture of emotions of the four women still seated at the table. Elsa was ecstatic. Ingrid was wistful; in front of her was the picture of what she had always wanted, a loving family. Zelena's face was an uncharacteristic one of sadness. Sadness over the grand scheme she wanted to enact. The scheme that eventually defeated her. Sadness over the second chance she never had the chance to take advantage of.

And then there was Cora. She sat in her chair motionless, looking directly at one daughter being cared for by her blonde lover and ignoring the one daughter sitting in front of her, the one she abandoned.

As for the other two, there wasn't much recognition. Cru was similar to that cartoon character of the same name, only younger and more attractive. None of the people at the table recognized Ursula, but then the cartoon showed her to be fat, old, and voiced by a woman who dripped of too many weekends in the Catskills. This Sea Witch was African-American, shapely and highly attractive.

Regina came to her senses and looked at the older woman. "Mommy?" her greeting of question of brief, quiet, and filled with disbelief.

Cora said nothing, she just looked at Regina. She did not look at her eldest daughter. Before death claimed her, Cora had made peace with her daughter, but not fully. She had told Regina that her daughter was always enough just before she closed her eyes, but her past history and treatment of Regina spoke otherwise.

And before anyone could say anything, HE burst in.

Robin of Locksley had run in frantically looking for anyone who could be a doctor. Before anyone, especially Regina, could vocally express astonishment, Robin mentioned that it was his wife. And her heart. It seems that the curse that Ingrid cast on Marian had been re-triggered in her body.

Gold was still having his reunion to bother with a woman with a cursed heart. Regina, on the other hand, had gathered her wits about her and was going to see if she could help, when Ingrid, overhearing everything quickly stood up. "I'm going with you."

Regina was about to read the Snow Queen the riot act about how her curse froze Marian, but Ingrid stopped the Evil Queen before she could speak..."This is my fault. I created the problem, I can fix it." Then, with softened eyes, Ingrid looked into Regina's: "if it doesn't work, you can make my end permanent..." With that, Regina motioned Ingrid to come along, but not before instructing the Sheriff to contact the Blue Fairy (just the thought of Regina contacting the Azure Ass for help made her cringe) to find out what was wrong. And that whatever dinner tab that was rung up would be on the Mayor. With that, the two Queens disappeared into the throng, but not before Regina flashed a smile at Emma, which Emma quickly returned. Ingrid smiled at Emma too, Emma's return was more tight-lipped...they had much to discuss anyway.

Then Emma turned to the sight in front of her. After four years she's used to things that would guarantee one their own rubber room.

Phone calls...must make phone calls. Dad: get to Granny's now. Mom...no, busy with the baby. Blue: not in...left message. Tink: your help at Granny's. Blue again: not in again. Hook : Come to Granny's...it's business. Tries Nova: Leroy answers but their both on their way. Blue again: nothing. Where is that blue bitch anyway... ?

Emma hangs up the phone, and followed by Cru and Ursula they make their way to the table. She knows she has no answers and there is much unfinished business in that dining room.

And that text message that was sent not long ago has already been forgotten.

TBC