Chapter Five: Another Hat Trick

"Blimey!" The Doctor remarked upon hearing the entire story Jack had shared with him about the global "Miracle Day" phenomenon of 2011 as they stood in Regina's office in Storybrooke Town Hall. "It was a good thing I took Amy and Rory off Earth while that all happened. Heaven only knows how it would've affected them." He then centered his focus on one particular part of Jack's recollection of the events: "And your friend, Rex Matheson, gained your immortality after it was all over?"

Harkness nodded in confirmation. "We had this plan – to transfer some of my then-mortal blood into Rex in order to end the Miracle, sacrificing ourselves simultaneously by feeding the blood into both ends of the Blessing. Rex's been asking me constantly about how he got to be like me, and I've tried numerous theories – even the one about him being a fixed point in time; but, in the end, you were the only person who could explain it all for him." He gestured to the Doctor's face and added, "Of course, I didn't count on the new regeneration. What happened this time?"

"Christmas 2009," the Doctor began, "you were off Earth at the time, but the Master had returned and used an Immortality Gate to pass on his bio-data across every human on the planet, turning them into copies of him."

"Damn." Jack reacted. "All of that with the Immortality Gate? Torchwood was supposed to have kept that locked away. How the hell did a lunatic like the Master get his hands on it?"

"Long story – one that involves the Time Lords nearly destroying Earth by bringing Gallifrey into its orbit during the last days of the Time War," said the Doctor, who appeared slightly melancholic upon reflecting on the experience. "Of course, it was all stopped. But would you believe that it was the Master who saved the day in the end?"

Jack snickered. "No, I actually wouldn't."

The Doctor nodded, understanding his lack of belief. "Well, it was. And I survived for a while, until I had to endure massive amounts of radiation poisoning to save the life of a friend – Wilfred Mott."

"And that triggered the regeneration?" Jack gathered.

The Doctor nodded. "That moment you saw me in the bar – that was the last you saw of my 'old' face." Reminded of that brief encounter, the Doctor then said, "I'm sorry about the people you lost to the 456, Jack. If I'd been there…"

"No, no. Don't say another word." Harkness demanded. "None of that could have been prevented any other way. You can't always be here to save us. That's why Earth has Torchwood. We deal with the problems that no one else, not even the government, can. I learned the best from you and – because of that – this world has survived the worst of the worst – whether it was the 456 or Miracle Day. So don't tell me what would've happened if you'd been there, because everything you would've done would just be the same as what I did."

The Doctor proudly smiled. "Thank you, Jack."

"Sounds like you two have been through quite a lot before Storybrooke."

They both heard Emma speak out near them, having heard both of their stories as they waited on Regina. Jack smiled at her and said, "Yeah, you could say that. Not nearly as impressive as being the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White though."

Emma rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Don't even start, Harkness."

Regina soon returned to her office, carrying a withering, old light brown hatbox with her that she placed atop a table. Jack, Emma, and the Doctor joined her at the table as she questioned to Emma, "Did Henry really ask you to protect me?"

"Yes," answered Emma.

Regina seemed touched by the fact as she opened the hatbox and pulled out a hat that Jack and Emma both instantly recognized. "Wait. Isn't that Jefferson's hat?" Jack inquired.

"Who's Jefferson?" Regina asked.

"The fruit-loop that did this to me." Jack slightly pulled back the left side of his coat to show the bloodied side of his turquoise shirt where a hole was ripped in and exposed the bandages on his torso.

"Yeah. That's the hat he wanted me to make for him." Emma indicated. "How did you get a hold of it?"

Before Regina could offer some type of answer, they heard footsteps enter the room. They turned to see Snow and James carrying broomsticks. Explaining the broomsticks, James said, "Torches – for when it comes back. I know it's old-fashioned, but so am I."

"I guess sonic screwdrivers are overrated then." Jack uttered.

"No, no! This is a brilliant idea!" The Doctor said with a huge smile. "The wraith has a weakness to light. I used the sonic screwdriver as a beacon of light to deplete its energy. Fire equals light!"

Noticing the hat in Regina's hands, Snow asked, "So how does it work?"

Regina led the group downstairs into the main hall, explaining the hat's functions to them upon setting it on the floor. "It will open a portal to our land. All we have to do is send the wraith in there."

Harkness grinned amusingly. "Does anyone else feel like we're turning into the Ghostbusters?"

"Should I put back on the goggles?" The Doctor mockingly asked, pulling out the special eyewear from the right pocket of his tweed jacket.

"I don't understand. I thought you said our land was gone." Snow said.

"It is." Regina clarified. "But sending it to a place that no longer exists…well, that's banishing it to oblivion."

Jack gave an approving nod. "Quaint – even for you."

Regina shot him a wicked glance. "I'll take that as a compliment, Captain." As she started spinning the hat, whooshing and rumbling noises could be heard outside before the electricity in the room crackled, putting them all in darkness. They looked to the double doors across the room, seeing shadows pass by the distorted glass.

"Your Honor? Whatever you're doing, would you mind doing it faster?" Jack hastily requested.

Regina spun the hat with more ferocity, but nothing happened. Her panic increased as soon as she heard the wraith roaring outside the main hall. Jack, Emma, Snow, and James all lit their broomsticks/torches and the Doctor retrieved his sonic screwdriver, all readying themselves for another confrontation with the creature. The double doors flew open, letting in a massive gust of wind that blew out Emma and Snow's torches.

The wraith hovered into the main hall and the Doctor unleashed an attack from his sonic screwdriver that distracted the creature long enough for Jack and James to step in to attack with their still-lit torches. Meanwhile, Snow found a bottle of alcohol at a mini-bar nearby, using the liquid to dose the barriers that halved the room. Snow called for James (but, in actuality, addressed him by his Storybrooke name), alerting him of the alcohol on the barriers. Of course, James already smelled it the moment she brought it out and knew of her plan.

Closing in the barriers together, James used his torch to light the alcohol and set the barrier aflame. The fire completely cut off the wraith's access to Regina, who continued to have difficulty with the hat. "Regina! Hurry!" James demanded of her.

"It's not working!" She cried in desperation.

"What's the problem?" Jack yelled while swinging his torch at the wraith.

"Magic. It's different here." Regina realized upon looking at the practically useless item sitting before her.

Looking over at Regina and the hat, the Doctor noticed how Emma stood over them both. Quickly, he instructed, "Emma…put your hands on Regina's arms."

His instruction brought confusion upon both Emma and Regina. "What?"

"Just do it!" The Doctor impatiently shouted.

Emma was willing to do whatever it took to solve the problem. She placed her hands on Regina, who made one last effort in getting the hat to work. As soon as she spun it one last time, the hat unleashed its magic, spinning to the point where it had transformed into a giant, swirling vortex of purple smoke. Regina looked to Emma in surprise and Emma had done the same until both women looked to the Doctor, whose face had shown delight in his improvised plan working.

The wraith finally broke past its combatants, knocking James to the side and pushing Harkness. The substantial force of the push had sent Jack's body flying over the flaming barrier and directly into the vortex. The Doctor, witnessing Jack's disappearance into the portal, cried out his name; but the immortal captain was long gone.

"REGINA!" Emma shouted as she noticed the wraith coming directly for her.

Emma leaped after Regina, pushing her out of the way before the wraith could touch her. The wraith was left falling into the vortex; but, before it had disappeared, it latched onto Emma's leg with its energy beam and pulled her into the portal with it. Watching her daughter vanish into the vortex, Snow cried, "NO! I'm not losing her again!" She then jumped and disappeared into the portal herself to the surprise of James, who refused to lose both his wife and daughter at the same time.

He jumped the barrier and leaped for the portal himself. Unfortunately, the portal had closed before James could get into it, leaving him landing only on the hat and crushing it into a heap of shredded fabrics. Picking himself and the hat's remains off the floor, James was left shocked and saddened from what had happened. The Doctor was in the same state; his body paralyzed from the heavy emotions that rang through him. No! This can't have happened again! I cannot have lost them, too! He was in such a distraught state of mind that he could not think properly. He didn't know what to do anymore.

The Doctor barely caught James confronting Regina as he screamed to her, "Where are they?"

Regina was shocked herself but she managed a calm demeanor as she addressed him. "I have no idea."

The angry prince advanced on her. "Are they dead?"

"The curse – it destroyed all the land."

"ARE THEY DEAD?" The fury in James's voice was evident.

"I don't know." Regina answered.

"I should've killed you myself!"

The Doctor saw the confrontation build up between them. "Everyone calm down. We can fix this." But he was only kidding himself with that promise; he did not know where to begin with solving the problem.

However, there was too much tension between James and Regina for any cooler heads to prevail on the matter. "Well, then what's stopping you?" Regina bellowed while lunging at James, only to have unleashed her magic upon him, throwing him across the room and slamming him against the wall. The Doctor watched in surprise as actual branches sprouted out from the wallpaper, which contained tree designs, and pinned down James. "You think you're some heroic prince? Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd."

Watching how the branches began to squeeze the life out of James, the Doctor yelled to Regina, "Stop this! Stop this now!"

"And you." Regina spun around to face the Doctor, raising one arm towards him that brought out another tree branch from out of the wallpaper and wrapped around the Doctor's neck, choking him. "You don't think I picked up on Emma's energy signature like you did? I know everything you know, Doctor. That's why you're going to die right here, right now. And regenerating won't help you."

The Doctor gasped, feeling the branch grow tighter and tighter on his neck.

"Mom?"

It was Henry. The Doctor felt the branch loosen on his neck.

Regina turned and innocently looked to her son as he was accompanied by Red. "Henry, what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"It's okay." Regina assured, walking to him. "You're safe now."

The branches holding James and the Doctor retreated back into the wall, freeing the both of them. Red quickly left Henry's side and checked on both men as they fought to get air back in their lungs. Of course, Red checked on the Doctor more so than James. "John, are you alright?"

Hearing her address him by that name made the Doctor more curious than the first time she addressed him by it. What life did I once have with her? Are we married? Dear God! I hope not!

"Where's my mom?" Henry asked, obviously referring to Emma. "Where's…?"

"They're gone." Regina hurriedly answered, feigning remorse. "They fell through a portal. They're…Henry, I'm sorry."

But Henry could see through the act. "No, you're not. You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again."

"No, don't say that, Henry. I love you."

"Then prove it. Get them back – and until then, leave me…leave everyone alone."

Regina was surprised by his request. "Where will you go?"

"With me," said a recovering James, getting to his feet and going over to Henry.

Henry smiled as he watched his grandfather, Prince Charming himself, put a comforting hand on his shoulder and guide him out of the room. Regina watched them leave in defeat; she then noticed from the corner of her eye how the Doctor was being helped out by Red. His eyes briefly connected with hers and, for that short moment, he heard her thoughts. Terrified beyond belief, the Doctor walked with Red, leaving Regina standing alone in the main hall.