Chapter Fifty-Eight: Same As It Ever Is

Storybrooke – 1983

Rose and the Doctor had been staying in Storybrooke for nearly a whole week, and one thing that they have noticed about the town was how everyone there was doing the same activities as they were the previous morning. Walking down the same street corner that they did on their first morning there, they passed familiar sights that gave them a sense of déjà vu – the pawn keeper known as Mr. Gold walked across the same shop where Marco, the town's repairman, was fixing the sign for, while Granny continued to argue with her granddaughter Ruby in front of their diner. The only notable difference was in their clothing.

Curiously observing the repeated events, Rose questioned to the Doctor, "Have you noticed that…?"

"Yes," the Doctor answered with nod, already figuring on what she was going to say before she finished.

"And that most of everyone is…?"

"Yes."

"And we seem to be…?"

"Oh, yes."

They were approaching Regina just as Archie passed in between them, walking Pongo and looking happily to Regina. "Beautiful day," he told her.

"Save it," she snapped back at him, and Archie continued on his way, albeit confusion over the way in which the mayor addressed him.

"Well, that's certainly no way for a mayor to greet her citizens." The Doctor sarcastically criticized. "Better consider taking a different attitude if you want to be re-elected."

"Re-elec…?" Regina was needless to say unhappy with his presence. "Why are you still here?"

The Doctor innocently shrugged. "We love the town. Don't we, Rose?"

Rose nodded. "Oh, yes. Very much."

"So much that we're thinking of settling down here."

This did not sit well with Regina. "Settling down? As in staying for good? That is completely out of the ques—" She was interrupted by someone who passed right by Rose and the Doctor and bumped directly into Regina. Caught by surprise, Regina was less than surprise to see that it was Mary Margaret.

"Oh, Madame Mayor, I am so sorry!" She nervously exclaimed.

Regina was about to lash out at her for the accident, but she stopped, taking a quick glance at the Doctor and Rose, who both watched interestedly to see what would happen next. But Regina did not say a word – to Mary Margaret, Rose, or even the Doctor; instead, she merely walked away from them all, heading in the direction of Gold's pawn shop.

Mary Margaret watched her leave, feeling heavily guilty. "I just know she's had it with me this time."

"Doubtful," said the Doctor, who inquisitively watched Regina depart in such a huff. "I believe she's angrier with herself than with you."

Mary Margaret reacted to the Doctor's deduction with uncertainty. "Why would she be angry with herself? Regina's the mayor. She has everything she could possibly want and more."

The Doctor turned to her with a suspecting look on his face. "Which is exactly why she's angry."

Mary Margaret was even more confused by his observation. She watched him and Rose walk away and wondered the entire time who this man was. While watching him and his companion leave, Mary Margaret heard someone calling out her name in a whisper. She turned to see John Smith, who had been hiding in a nearby alley the whole time. "John?" She was surprised to see him there as he was usually at Granny's Diner or the school at that time.

He waved her over to him while peeping around the corner and glancing directly at the two strangers that were walking away. Once she joined him in the alley, Smith asked her, "You've been seeing that man pass through here every morning, right?"

"I think so, yeah." Mary Margaret responded, noting how agitated Smith was. "John, is everything alright?"

John shook his head. "I'm not sure. Regina came to me at the school seven days ago and told me that if I ever came across a man in a brown trench coat any time soon that I should turn away from him immediately."

Mary Margaret realized that the man she encountered just a moment ago fit that exact description. Highly concerned, she questioned to John, "You think he might be dangerous?"

John shrugged. "I don't know. But that isn't even the weirdest part. Later that night, while I was having my dinner at Granny's, he approaches me and says that his name is John Smith – my name."

Interest took over Mary Margaret upon hearing this. "Oh. That is weird. But could it just be coincidence? I mean people do share similar names."

Smith shook his head negatively. "Doubtful."