First few weeks has been hard for both Regina and Magnus when they are trying to sort their feelings, but to Regina her feelings are crystal clear, only it confuses Magnus even more. It's been long and patience for Regina and all she can do is wait for Magnus to believe. In some parts of him, he still believes she's the 'queen bitch,' but Regina doesn't want him to think that way of her. Magnus tempted to have a drink, a certain morning whiskey, and it does sound good to add to hot cocoa he has in his hands, drinking with Mary Margaret.
Mary Margaret has grown close because she been acting like a mother-figure to Magnus. He grown to trust her and her wisdom, he doesn't know or understand why but something tells him that he can trust her. It's more of a feeling, they were talking about Henry's castle, his favorite playground near the beach. David and Magnus have never really been close, but they do interact in daily life, but ever since he moved out to live in the dorm. He's spending more time with Mary Margaret than David.
"She knows everything about this town. She's the Mayor," Mary drinks her hot cocoa when Magnus' phone was buzzing. It's a text from Regina, requesting to see him. He looks up when he got up, her usual private time with David before work. "Listen, Magnus, don't worry about Henry. He'll be fine. The special bond between you and Henry has an effect on Regina."
While David was waiting for Mary Margaret, Regina wanted him to check on the new mysterious man in town. David hated her for it, forcing him to check on him, find out about him, what he wants and what's he's doing here. I mean, there's no law against visiting Storybrooke, anyone can visit, David didn't like how Regina confronted her, "it's not about the law. You're going to do this because I asked you to," David replaying while considering what to do about this. In truth, no one in this town knows about him.
Sidney Glass got fired from newspaper and blames Regina for it. He knocked on Sheriff's door and David calls him in. "You want to show this town who the Mayor really is? I can help," Sidney Glass was holding a glass of whiskey.
"Aren't you and Mayor Mills friends of sort?"
Sidney Glass sat on the chair, "The Mayor and I are done!" He told him what happened at the newspaper and how he got fired, "I am working on expose on the Mayor's office. And I found something she didn't want to be found."
David doesn't want to do this, to work with him when clearly, he's drunk, but Sidney Glass pulled out his business card and handed it to him, "call me. Storybrooke deserves to know the truth about her."
Henry stood outside of his favorite park, his castle has been torn apart, and the men are cleaning the area. Magnus arrived at speed record when Henry called him, "what happened? I come as soon as I heard."
"The castle! It's been torn down!" Henry ran closer to find his book, "my book is gone!"
Regina was watching the workers and Magnus walked over to her, "Congratulation, Madam Mayor! You're destroying the thing he loves!"
Regina sighs, "a dangerous thing that can only hurt Henry and others," Magnus crossed his arms and doesn't like seeing Henry hurt, "I know you see me as a villain, Mr. Magnus. That's your perception and you're wrong." All Regina has done is to help him and they shared the night three times since he arrived at Storybrooke. And yet, that still not good enough for him. Magnus watched her with Henry, trying to comfort her son.
David arrived at the scene to draw line around the park to keep everyone safe. Magnus and David were working together until David brought up about Sidney Glass, "he was in my office this morning."
"What did he want?"
"He's working on expose on Madam Mayor, and he said he found something, I don't know."
Magnus didn't want to hurt Henry in the process if they work with Sidney Glass, their conversation got interrupted when he's reminded about class and his practice team.
David was surprised to see that Magnus didn't want to do anything; something is going on between them much to his dismay. David doesn't believe in Regina's good intention or even believe that she's the good Mayor. I am going to prove to him about Regina, he looks at Sidney Glass' business call and dialing his number, "I'm in. I want to everyone to know who she really is," watching Magnus walking back to his car.
David and Sidney Glass met in secret in the tunnel, David was the first to speak, "What do you have?"
"$50,000."
"I'm sorry?"
"Fifty grand out of the budget and it's missing."
"That's it? That's what you have on her?"
"The money is just the tip of the iceberg," convincing him that it will show all of her secrets. All we need a crack in a mirror to show everyone. David agreed, "what's your plan?"
"Tap her phone. GPS her car and hack into her email."
"I'm the Sheriff so I have to do it by the book."
"She's gonna know you're onto her," they are both prepared for her wrath as they find ways to find the truth to crack her. Why did Sidney allow himself end up in her pocket if she was so terrifying and the answer surprises David, he's in love with her.
David and Mary Margaret got into argument about his plans to take down the Mayor. She was concern for Magnus and how he will take this when he finds out that David is actually working with Sidney Glass. She doesn't want any part of this, so she retreated to the bedroom.
David and Sidney Glass looked through the files that Sidney had on him, David found one part of the file about the money, "when did the transfer go through? Does three weeks ago sounds right?"
"Yes, why?"
David shows him the missing file, "those records are missing." Sidney Glass wanted to get a warrant to look into her office, but David knew it won't work. Is there any judge in town that she doesn't own? David wanted to do by the books first before doing anything drastic that Sidney Glass wanted to do, sneak in, and break into her office without her knowledge.
Regina read the paper when Sidney Glass and Sheriff Nolan stood before her, "And just what you're and disgrace ex-reporter accusing me of?"
Sheriff Nolan wanted to know the truth while Sidney Glass stood beside him, "Fifty thousand dollars was transferred out of the city account by you."
"Well, as a Mayor, I'm involved in many transactions. Check the public records if you have any questions."
"That's the thing, Madam Mayor. They are missing from three weeks ago."
"If they are missing, it's probably because I checked them out as my job requires me to do. If it was three weeks ago then it must've been lost in the storm."
"As you know, the storm knocked out this town. I have nothing to hide."
David sighs and knew she's telling the truth, half of the things in this town has been knocked down and lost, "there's nothing we can do," tilted to Sidney Glass, "lets go."
"Sheriff Nolan …"
"We have nothing."
Sidney Glass was upset that they left without anything from Regina, but David Nolan answered when they were walking outside from the Town Hall, "I planted a bug."
Magnus was furious with David when he found out that he's going against Regina. He arrived at the office early in the morning before workout to check things and saw several files and machine that listens in from the bug. Everyone has complaining about the working conditions, the workers have been working non-stop to improve the town and fix road errors, the park and pretty much everything that was knocked down and destroyed by the storm.
"What's the fuck is this?!" Magnus waved the files at David.
David shows him about the fifty thousand dollars, "she's been stealing money from city account. She claims that the missing records has been lost in the storm."
Magnus yelled at him and wouldn't listen word from him, "drop this!"
"You will see, Magnus. I will prove it," David refuses to drop what they worked hard on to find the truth about Mayor Mills. Magnus left the office to warn Regina.
Sidney Glass has been working all morning while Sheriff Nolan was driving around town. David sat next to him, "did you find anything?" Sidney Glass turns off the machine that's listening in Regina's office.
Sidney Glass nods, "better than good," turns on the recorder that Regina made the call with mysterious caller that she'll meet with someone at Access Road 23 with the rest of her payment. Regina didn't want anyone to know about this, it was supposed to be a surprise.
"A payoff in the woods? That's promising," David nods happily.
"A payoff using stolen city funds," replied Sidney Glass.
"Let's find out whose she's meeting."
Late at night, David and Sidney Glass were following Regina behind and watches the transaction between Mr. Gold and Regina Mills. They waited until Regina disappeared from the sight, driving back to the town. They asked Mr. Gold why she was meeting with him. He answered, "just a little business transaction."
"What's in the briefcase?" Sidney Glass asked him.
"Everything comes in with a price," Mr. Gold replied, implying that it was filled with cash.
David Nolan realizes the reason, "she brought you land?"
"This very ground you're standing on," Mr. Gold walks down and walks between them.
"What did she want this land for?"
"It's not my business," Mr. Gold warns them to be careful, "emotional entanglements can lead us down to a dangerous path.
They drove straight to the Town Hall and broke into her office to find the real reason why she purchases a land from Mr. Gold. It was exactly six minutes for them to break in and hack the laptop. Sheriff Nolan and Sidney Glass lied their ass off to Mayor Mills that it was the kids broke in and he was checking it out.
Mayor Mills gavel banging on the table at the front of the audience, "the session of the Storybrooke City Council will come to order. We will begin by reading the minutes from our last meeting."
Magnus stood at the back because he arrived late. He wanted to be there to watch Regina and her arms crossed. Sidney Glass was the first to stand up with files in his hand, "I have something I'd like to bring to the Council's attention."
"This is not an open forum, Sidney," Regina wasn't pleased that he interrupted the meeting, "no one in this Council is interested in listening in hearing disgraced reporter. Now sit down."
David stood up, "he's not the only one who has something to say."
Regina composed herself, "Sheriff Nolan, this meeting is to discuss issues facing Storybrooke."
"Like the Mayor stealing thousands of dollars from the city funds to build a second home?" The crowd gasps, but Magnus stood up and couldn't believe he didn't drop it as first he told him. What's the fuck, he whispered to himself. Regina gravel banging on the table again, "Mr. Nolan, you will sit down or so help me."
"So, you will bully me like you have to everyone else in this town? Not today," Sheriff Nolan held up a document of blueprint of a playhouse, "I am holding a document proving that this woman, your Mayor, stole funds from the city to build herself a home in the woods." He stood up for Sidney Glass, to explain why he was fired because he stood up to her. He turns to the Mayor again, "we all know what happens when we questioned the Mayor. The truth is you're a thug that doesn't care about anyone else but yourself. That's who you really are," and it's time for Storybrooke to know that.
"You're right, Sheriff Nolan. I am building a house," Regina stood up and clicked the button to show on the screen, "a playhouse." She looked at the screen of the playground blueprint, "the accusations are true. I did take city funds, but I wanted to build a playground for my son, Henry and all the children of Storybrooke could have special place to play. Safely." Regina looks at Sheriff Nolan, "there you have it. You have exposed who really, I am. I hope you're satisfied."
Everyone stood outside, Sidney Glass and Sheriff Nolan are chatting about their mistakes. Mary Margaret doesn't want to talk to him, and Magnus turns down the Sheriff's badge. He only wants to be the deputy and doesn't want to work that kind of a person who goes against Mayor Mills. He didn't think of hurting the people he loved, a big mistake.
Regina approaches him and requests to talk privately, so Sidney Glass left the scene.
"I don't know what you were hoping to accomplish here, but now I hope you'll go back to your job which upholding the law, not breaking it." David Nolan shot her a look, how the hell did she know and listens to her, "what? You don't think I know you broke into my office? Don't pretend you're innocent." David realizes how she knew the truth, Magnus, who else. "You're going to stay away from me and my son."
"But that's …" he loved Henry and loves spending time with him as if he's his grandson.
"It's not open for discussion! You lost the high ground, Sheriff."
Magnus messes up bad, banging on Regina's door, "Regina, I'm sorry!"
He lost access to Henry when David told him about the warning from Regina. They all were ordered to stay away from Mayor Mills and his son. Mary Margaret hasn't forgiven David for his mistakes and in the process hurting Magnus and Henry. Regina opened the door, her face tells the story, she's hurt and furious with him like she wants to destroy the town, starting with him. "Regina. Listen, I am sorry. I had no idea he's planning to do that," trying to repair their relationship.
Magnus stopped for a moment to look for Henry before doing anything to make sure he was not listening, "where's Henry?"
"He's at the park," Regina confirms for him.
Magnus did no other but to kiss her hard on the lips. Regina pushes him away, "if you ever do this again …"
"I won't, Regina. I promise."
"I'm not evil, Magnus. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I'm not evil?"
"I don't think that, Regina. It just how I see you treating people and people don't like you. They say all sorts of things about you, and it makes me wonder why you choose to be here and not with them. Why aren't you not protecting those people?"
"You don't know me, Magnus. How can you make a harsh judgment on me when you don't know who I am," feels like they are back in the beginning where the Queen and Emma, her hatred for her because she's the wife of the bastard, and daughter of the Evil Queen.
"I'm sorry, Regina," he doesn't know what else to say, "it just … Cora …"
"What?" Regina wanted to know so badly what he's thinking.
"Cora was here, and you didn't do anything to protect the people from her. She destroyed my representation because of my association with you and Henry. I have seen good people in Storybrooke, and …" Magnus got lost for words yet again.
Regina understood, thinks just like Emma which doesn't surprise her at all, "it doesn't mean I am against them, Magnus. I didn't want to be the Mayor to begin with, but yet here I am, and so I'm doing the best I can to protect our people." It looks like Magnus needed more time to believe in me and Henry.
"Okay," is all Magnus could say at the moment. Magnus nods at Regina before leaving, then thought again, he wasn't just going to let her go like before and just give up. It wasn't in the cards for him even he doesn't believe yet. He pulls her into his arms, presses her mouth onto hers, passionately and they kept their mouths locks together until they walked upstairs to Regina's bedroom.