Her apple tree was much like herself in a way, you could say it was a reflection of her life. She to did not belong in the castle walls just like her tree didn't, both of them trapped unable to leave. The two of them stuck out like a scream within the calm. Screaming that's all she had felt like doing, but in the end she ended up pushing it down so low that the anger inside of her boiled to a point of exploding.


She sat in her office but she was to distracted to do any real work no, instead she found herself staring out at her tree. Her subconscious had finally caught up to her leaving her with what felt like and empty void left inside of her, a void that had once been repaired by those who she loved. She watched as the leaves on her tree shrivelled up and died. She watched the darkening of the once blood red apples turn into a deep brown mess. As the fruit dropped to the ground one by one plucking away what little was left of the tree, before slowly killing it from the inside out, until nothing but a dead corpse is left. Henry, David and Emmelia was all she had left in the world and just like the tree they were plucked away from her one by one. When she awoke to see that it was only a dream, a dream that felt so real, she found herself relieved. Nothing had ever been able to hurt or scare her as the evil queen, kill her for all she cared, but now her biggest enemy was not that of Snow White, no instead it was herself. To lose them she would lose herself as they were the glue that kept her together, her reason for living. She had never expected to fall for the prince but in the end she did. It would be so easy to cross the line and leave, but she couldn't because something inside of her stopped her.


Rumplestilskin grew impatient his son was out there somewhere and there was no way he could leave the godforsaken town until the curse was broken. Nothing was going to plan the evil queen ended up with prince charming and worst of all the curse wasn't getting any weaker. The mayors cooperation with the saviour had changed everything, they didn't loathe each other instead they were getting along "for Henry's sake", so the mayor had no reason as to get rid of her. He had to get her with her insecurities, make her vulnerable, but to do that he would need the help of Jefferson, and get her with what she fears most, losing her family.


Jefferson sat on the bench in the far corner of the park under a large tree that kept him hidden in the shadows. He watched as the saviours son and his daughter played together. She looked so happy, she had the things he could never give her, a mother, friends and a life of wealth. Regina wasn't lying when she said that she would make sure his daughter would be looked after. Dungeons and dragons he believed they were playing, his daughter was pretending to be the princess while Henry played as the prince, his little sister tho played as the dragon making roaring sounds, stomping heavily on the ground and pretending to breathe fire. He watched as the saviour and Prince Charming watched the children play in joy and was still constantly surprised at the fact that Regina aloud the saviour to see Henry, firstly she was very protective over her son and secondly she was the saviour the one who is meant to break the curse, he wondered if the majesty actually knew who the Sheriff Miss Swan was. The words of the Imp stuck in his head repeating over and over again "breaking the curse dearie, means you will get your daughter back". He needed to be with his daughter once again seeing her, having to watch from a distance just wasn't good enough and to see her now playing with another's child only made him miss her more. He slowly walked up to the man known as Prince Charming who was dressed in blue jeans that had a white button up shirt ticked into them. "Excuse me sir" Jefferson said. Emma noticed the shady looking man, he had a long dark coat and a scarf that wrapped around his neck. She stepped away so he could talk to David, but she kept her eye on him. "Can I help you" David said with a friendly smile.

"I'm just wondering on where I could find your wife?" Jefferson replied.

"My wife?" David said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yes, she is the mayor of this town after all".

"Then I'm guessing you want to talk business with her?"

"Yes"

"Well then you should find her at her office"

"Thank you" Jefferson replied with a nod before walking off. David wasn't a fan of this stranger, something seemed shady about him.


"I believe you have a problem, your majesty" he said as he walked into her office. She found her self in instant shock 'your majesty' the same words that were used by the man in her dream. Her head popped up from the pile of paperwork and to her relief it was only Jefferson. "And what is this problem of mine?" She asked as she lent closer to her desk.

"The mother of Henry is the saviour, the one who will break your curse".

"I know" she replied.

"You know and you're not going to do anything about?"

"Why should I" she replied.

"I know that the evil queen is fearless, afraid of nothing but what I do know is, is that Regina Mills is afraid of losing the ones she loves".

"Huh" she laughed "you think you know me" she was now standing behind her desk "as far as I know, I am neither of them, I'm no teenager who is blindly in love and well, here I am certainly not the evil queen".

"You may not be a teenager any more" he said as he slowly walked up to her desk "but you're a mother and if anything threatened your child being taken away from you, well we all knows what happens when someone crosses the evil queens path, don't we" he placed his hands on her desk and leant forward "And when the saviour breaks the curse you will lose everything, you don't really think that stupid prince will still love you, do you?". The thought hurt her but she couldn't show it, not to him "And Henry" he continued "well, we know he will be gone to run off with his real family, has he ever told you that he loves you?". 'No!' She couldn't let him get to her "and what about that precious little daughter of yours, do you really think the prince will let you see her, you will be nothing but a forgotten memory to her, Snow White will become her mother, because face it dear" he said using her own word "who would want the evil queen when they can have Snow White". If she had magic she would have burned him alive with a flick of her wrist, but she didn't have magic so she couldn't. "So Jefferson" she said "you thought you would come here and gloat, tell me dear, what does this accomplish for you. Pride? Satisfaction?".

"Neither" he replied. We both have something the other wants, you my daughter and I a way to get rid of all your problems".

"I'm sorry dear, but during my time I have learnt that making deals never turns out the way you want them to, you should know that to Jefferson".

"Well" he said "If you change your mind you know where to find me".