"So, you're saying that everyone who has disappeared in this town has turned into a flying monkey?" Regina gaped, summing up what she'd just been told. Deciding it would be easier to explain everything in person, Emma and Regina had agreed to meet up at Granny's, where both parties proceeded to fill each other in on what they'd learned.
"It would explain why there hasn't been any sign of the missing people," Mary Margret pointed out.
"Do you think that's what she's done to Roland?" Robin asked, clearly afraid to hear the answer.
"No, I don't think that's what Zelena plans to do," Regina reassured. "But that leaves the question of what she is planning to do."
"Well, if you have any ideas as to how to figure it out, we'd be glad to hear them," David said. "I'm still trying to get over the fact that you have a sister."
"A half-sister," Regina pointed out. "One who apparently has it out for me because our mother abandoned her, but kept me. Or, so she claims"
"But why you?" Belle asked. "If your mother was the one who gave Zelena up, how would that be your fault? You said yourself, you weren't even aware you had a sister before today."
"That's the thing about vengeance," Hook pointed out. "It can drastically alter your perception, making it hard for you to grasp simple truths."
"Still, this does leave us with a problem," Emma said. "Zelena's angry because Cora gave her up. I understand how she feels. I spent a long time feeling the same thing. But that was before I found out why I was given up." Emma turned to look at David and Mary Margret before continuing. "I understand that you didn't have much of a choice, and that you were trying to do what you felt was best for me. But in Zelena's case, we have no way of knowing exactly what happened. We don't know why Cora gave her up. The only one who would know the whole story would be Cora. And we can't exactly ask her, can we?"
"Actually…we can," Regina replied. "There might be a way we can contact my mother."
"You have an Ouija board in the back of your closet?" Neal asked, nudging Emma's arm in an attempt to get her to laugh at his joke. However, Emma did not humor his attempt, and all he got was a withering glance from Regina.
"I can conduct a séance back at my mansion. If it works, we would be able to contact my mother's spirit from the other side, allowing us to ask her what she can tell us about Zelena, and why she gave her up. Of course, I'll need time to prepare everything. And for it to work, I'm probably going to need the bookworm's help."
"Me?" Belle said, taken aback. "What would you need my help for?"
"For the séance to work, I'm going to need a specific item. Something that Gold probably stored in his shop," Regina explained. "Since you were the one who spent the last four months going through the objects Gold kept, you'd probably have the best idea of where the object I need is."
"What is it that you're looking for?"
"The candle. The enchanted two sided candle."
"But its power is gone now," Belle pointed out. "It's just a relic."
"I know," Regina replied. "But its presence is the key to the ritual being successful. There's a reason why people don't make the attempt to contact the dead that often. To do it, you need the murder weapon. And, well, the murderer." In an immediate response to these words, Mary Margret shifted uncomfortably, a look of guilt appearing on her face. Noticing this, David wrapped an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to console her.
"While Regina's getting things ready," Emma spoke up in an attempt to diffuse the uneasiness in the air, "we should let the town know what's been happening. Tell everyone to be on their guard, and if they have to go out, they should remain in a group. We don't want anyone else being attacked and turned into a flying monkey."
"I'll go tell Leroy," David volunteered, still rubbing his wife's arm. "If anyone can spread the word fast enough, it'll be him."
As everyone continued to make plans, Emma noticed Hook silently slipping away from the group, making his way towards the back room of Granny's where Smee, Bill and Robert had been loitering around. Seconds later, she found herself walking after them, despite having no memory of making a conscious decision to do so. When she made it outside into the small alleyway behind the diner, she quickly caught sight of Hook and his three crewmates, who had nearly made it to the street.
"Hook!" Emma called after him. Without hesitation, Hook turned to look back at her. After a brief pause in which he simply stared at her with a multitude of emotions on his face, he glanced back at his fellow pirates to say a few words to them. Even though Emma hadn't been able to overhear exactly what he was saying, she gathered he must have been telling them to wait there, as they stood by while Hook walked back towards her.
"Is there something you wanted, Swan?" he asked once he was close enough.
"I… I just wanted to know where you were heading off to. With the flying monkeys on the loose…"
"I'm well aware about the winged simians," Hook interrupted with a tone Emma hadn't heard from him in quite a while. Not since their adventure on the beanstalk. "I was there when Starkey transformed, remember?"
"I'm sorry," Emma apologized, suddenly feeling awkward. "I suppose it was a shock to see that happen to a member of your crew."
"Aye, it was. So Smee, Robert, Bill and I are going to go scour through the woods. See if we can find him. He might have made it to Zelena's farmhouse by now, but we still need to try. And, perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone. While Dave is planning to have the dwarf spread the word in town, there are a few people who live in the outskirts of Storybrooke. Someone has to warn them, too."
"I'm not saying that's not a good idea," Emma said. "But I don't think a lot of people will…"
"What, heed a warning from a bunch of pirates knocking on their door?" Hook fired back. "I'm well aware of how the town might see us, Swan. Which is why I'll be asking Tink if she'd be able to convince some of the other fairies to accompany us. I trust the town will be more receptive to us with a fairy or two present." A wide-eyed Emma stepped back, visibly taken aback by his harsh tone. Upon seeing her reaction, Hook's face softened instantly.
"Forgive my rudeness," he muttered, contritely. "I simply don't want to see someone else meet the same fate as Starkey. Not if I can do something to prevent it."
"I didn't realize you cared about your crew this much," Emma admitted. At these words, a distant look appeared on Hook's face, and he glanced off at a spot above Emma's shoulder, unable to quite meet her eyes.
"Starkey…wasn't just another member of my crew," he admitted after a pregnant pause. "Mr. Smee might be my first mate, but Starkey…. he was with me the longest. Apart from me, he's the only one left from that first voyage into Neverland."
Emma could only stare at Hook in shock of what he'd just revealed. If Hook was telling the truth in saying he and Starkey were the only ones left from the original crew of that ill-fated journey into Neverland, when that nameless, faceless king had tasked them to collect the highly poisonous Dreamshade, then… Starkey had originally served under Hook's brother, Liam. And that meant he had been the only man left among Hook's crew who had actually known Liam.
Hook, seeming to think he said too much, turned to rejoin his crew.
"Hook?" Emma called after him once again. "Be careful, okay? Zelena is out there. We don't know what she's capable of yet." Upon hearing that request, Hook once again looked back at her, a small smile gracing his features.
"You're not still mad at me?" he asked, only half-joking. Emma instinctively opened her mouth to reply, but briefly hesitated, deciding to choose her words carefully.
"Regardless of how I feel about it," she finally stated, "Henry was right. You're still a part of the Nevengers." Immediately, Hook let out a sudden laugh in reaction to the word.
"I'm part of the what?" he asked, his voice filled with mirth.
"Yeah, I know," Emma agreed with a slight shrug. "Henry came up with the name shortly after we returned from Neverland. I don't quite understand it, either. But the point is, he was right; we did all become a team in Neverland. Just because we're back in Storybrooke doesn't mean we stopped being one. Which means your safety is still important."
"Well, then," Hook said. "As one teammate to another, I promise we'll be careful."
"Thank you," Emma replied. In the seconds that followed, Hook fixed his gaze on Emma's face, his eyes widening slightly. Emma likewise felt her mouth drying out. It was obvious they were both remembering what happened the last time Emma had verbally thanked him for something. Before she could do something she would regret, Emma turned and ducked back inside, leaving Hook standing in the small alleyway. Briefly, he made a movement to go after her, but stopped himself after only a single step. Instead, he turned and walked over to rejoin Smee, Bill and Robert, who had been obediently waiting for him by the street.
By the time Emma had made it back to the main dining room of Granny's, the first thing she noticed was Henry was sitting alone in the booth, watching Neal and Robin having what looked like a private conversation across the room. Everyone else was noticeably absent.
"What's going on?" Emma asked, taking a seat next to Henry.
"Dad and Robin actually met before," Henry explained. "Robin even helped Dad get to Neverland to try and help save me from Pan."
"Oh," Emma blinked in response to this information before glancing back at the two men. While she couldn't be sure, Robin didn't seem to look very happy about something. Pushing aside her curiosity, Emma continued addressing her son. "So, where did everyone else get to?"
"Grandma and Grandpa left to find the dwarfs and tell everyone they could find about the emergency town meeting. Belle went back to the library to finish cleaning up, and Jefferson's gone to check on Grace and her cursed parents."
"Well, since everyone else is off doing their part, what do you say we go down to the town hall and set things up? You can help put out the chairs. And if we get done in time, we'll get some ice cream. Sound good?"
"Okay," Henry agreed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. While Henry was gathering his things, a thought crossed Emma's mind and she stepped over to the counter.
"Hey, um, Granny?" she began. "I was hoping you could do me a favor. We're going to try conducting a séance tonight, to try and contact Regina's mother in the hopes that she can tell us what she can about Zelena. Could you and Ruby watch Henry? If we're going to call back Cora's spirit, I don't feel comfortable with having Henry nearby."
"Not a problem," Granny agreed. "No flying monkey is going to get anywhere near here, if it knows what's good for them."
With that taken care of, Emma rejoined Henry, Neal and Robin who were waiting for her by the door. The latter two were apparently finished with their conversation, but there was still a distinct air of uneasy tension between them. Making a mental note to ask them about it later, Emma started to push the door open, only to feel the door hit something solid, along with the distinct sound of a person groaning in pain.
"OH!" Emma cried in alarm, staring in shock at the brown-haired man standing right outside, holding his nose in an obvious attempt at easing the pain of being hit in the face with the door. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's all right," the man assured, waving away her apology. "I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes. It surprised me more than anything," he insisted, looking over at her with a wide smile. "You're Sheriff Swan, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Emma said, trying to figure out if she'd seen this man before. The man obviously picked up on this as he let out a small chuckle.
"No, we haven't met before," he admitted. "But everyone in town knows who you are. Name's Walsh."
"Nice to meet you," Emma greeted. "I'm sorry, but we really should get going. There's going to be an emergency town meeting in an hour, and we have to get thing set up."
"I understand," Walsh nodded, stepping aside. "I'll see you there." Giving him a polite smile, Emma continued on her way with Henry, Neal and Robin. As she walked, Emma suddenly felt uneasy, as if she was missing something completely obvious, but she quickly chose to put that feeling aside for the time being. They had a town meeting to get ready for.
Henry led the way to the Mills Mausoleum, with Robin and Mary Margret close behind, keeping an eye out for any sign of attack. Once inside, they found the secret door leading down to Regina's vault had been left open.
"Mom?" Henry called out as he walked down the stairs without hesitation. When he reached to base of the stairs, he was greeted by the sight of a seemly vacant room.
"Regina? Are you in here?" Mary Margret asked, joining Henry at the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm over here," Regina's voice responded, sounding slightly muffled. Turning towards the voice, they saw the woman was sitting in the corner of the vault, her knees up to her chest.
"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked, approaching her. "We've been trying to call you since the town meeting ended to see if you had everything ready for the séance, but you weren't answering your phone."
"I'm fine, Henry," Regina reassured, discreetly wiping away a tear caught in the corner of her eye before getting to her feet. "I'll be right out; I just have to collect a few more ingredients."
Once Henry had headed back up the stairs to wait by the entrance, Regina took hold of Mary Margret's arm as she made to follow him.
"You weren't planning on having Henry be there for the séance, were you?" she asked, a slight trace of accusation in her voice.
"Of course not," Mary Margret insisted. "Neal's going to take him back to Granny's. Granny and Ruby agreed to keep an eye on him tonight. I'd like to see one of Zelena's winged monkeys get by Granny's crossbow. And since there's a full moon tonight, Ruby will also be able to transform if she has to. He'll be completely safe under their watch." If Regina was not satisfied with this, she gave no indication of it. Instead, she allowed Mary Margret to continue up the stairs as she turned and proceed to inspect her collection of potion ingredients, looking for the right ones. For a few seconds, the only sounds in the vault were the clinking of glass vials as Regina continued her search.
"So, what's really troubling you?" Regina jumped, startled by the sound of Robin's voice from directly over her shoulder. She made sure to put some distance between them before addressing him.
"Is there a reason why you chose to sneak up behind me instead of waiting outside?" she demanded.
"Well, I was curious. I wanted to know if you were all right," Robin explained. "Despite your best efforts to hide it, I can tell that something's troubling you. Is it that letter you attempted to hide when you were soothing Henry's concerns?"
"What letter?" Regina scoffed, trying to put on an air of nonchalance.
"This one." Upon looking over, Regina's eyes widened at the sight of the letter she'd found in Cora's old trunk, which Robin was now holding up. In a reflexive action, her hand shot up to check the pocket of her coat, only to find it empty.
"I'm a pickpocket by trade," Robin explained as Regina shot him a furious glare. "I spent many years learning how to rob from magicians."
"You're lucky I'm saving my strength for that witch," Regina snapped, folding her arms and looking away, still fuming. However, Robin showed no sign of being put off by her attitude
"I think, deep down, you actually want to talk about what was written in this letter," he pointed out gently.
"What makes you think you know me so well?" Regina challenged, still refusing to look at him.
"Well, for one thing I'd be charred to a crisp by now, if you didn't. " To this, Regina made no comment, but lowered her eyes, her defensive stance diminishing slightly. "So, can I read it?" Again, Regina remained silent, but she waved a noncommittal hand as a sign of her begrudging permission. Accepting the fact that that was as close to an actual 'yes' as he was going to get, Robin began to read the letter aloud.
Cora, dear. I've finally got my hands on your first born. Never thought I'd find her, did you? Now I know why: She's the most powerful sorceress I've ever encountered. Even more powerful than you. Stunning in every way.
When he was done, Robin glanced back up at Regina, who was still refusing to look back at him.
"Well, that didn't seem so bad. Rather complimentary I'd say. Why is this troubling you?"
"I've seen that letter a hundred times before," Regina explained, finally opening up. "In my darkest moments, I'd go to it for comfort. For solace. For brace when I needed it. Because I… I always thought it was about me." Robin's eyes widened in sudden realization.
"It was about Zelena," he said, filling in the blanks. Finally, Regina turned to face Robin head-on, allowing him to see the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
"Rumpelstiltskin thought she was more powerful than I am," she admitted.
"So what?" Robin challenged. "Why do you care what that imp thought?"
"Because," Regina explained, visibly downcast. "If the man who taught me everything I know about magic thought Zelena is stronger than I am, then there's no way I can defeat her."
For a long moment, a heavy silence filled the air as Regina once again turned around, so her back was facing Robin. She tried to focus on the task of collecting the potion ingredients she needed for the séance, but found her vision becoming blurred by unshed tears. Out of nowhere, she felt Robin's hand drop down on her shoulder. Upon looking back at him, she found herself trapped in his gaze, which was filled with a strange mix of sympathy and determination.
"Even if Rumpelstiltskin was right about Zelena being stronger than you in regards to magic," he pointed out, "that doesn't mean she's guaranteed to win. Zelena might be more powerful, but she's made a rather serious tactical error. There's only one of her, and she's essentially challenged all of us. It seems to me that the odds are not stacked in her favor."
"You seem awfully sure of yourself," Regina muttered, amazed to find Robin's words had managed to bolster her confidence.
"I think I know a thing or two about the benefits of being part of a group," Robin stated. "I know I never would have completed most of my jobs if I hadn't had the Merry Men backing me up." After another long pause, Regina looked back up at Robin. This time, she allowed herself to smile.
By the time Regina, Mary Margret and Robin had made it to Regina's mansion after leaving Henry in the care of Neal and Granny, it was nearly dusk. They were immediately met by Emma, David and Hook, who had been waiting for them outside.
"Sorry I'm late," Regina began. "I had to collect the necessary ingredients to make a special tea."
"More tea?" Emma exclaimed. "It feels like I just finished the tea Jefferson gave us."
"It's not for drinking," Regina stated. "It's a deadly poison for summoning the dark vortex."
"I prefer Earl Grey," David quipped.
As Regina made her way upstairs, Mary Margret happened to glance over at Hook, her face suddenly filled with concern.
"I just remembered," she began. "Emma briefly mentioned that you were going out looking for your crewmate. Did you find him?"
"No," Hook replied, his surprise at Mary Margret's concern managing to overpower his discouragement. "There was no sign of him, anywhere."
"I'm sorry. If we find a way to change people back…."
"Thank you, Milady," Hook stated with a grateful but awkward nod.
Belle was locking up the library for the night when she was struck by the feeling of being watched. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with Jefferson, who was currently looking at her in concern.
"Jefferson? What are you doing here?"
"I was driving back home from picking up Grace," Jefferson explained, gesturing to the car parked at the curb. Sure enough, a 12-year-old girl was sitting patiently in the passenger seat, watching them. "But what about you? You weren't about to walk home by yourself, were you? You heard what they said at the emergency town meeting. It's not a good idea to go anywhere unaccompanied with the flying monkeys on the loose. Especially this close to nightfall."
"I know," Belle said. "But… Gold's shop is just across the street. Unless there's a flying monkey watching from the shadows, just waiting for me to step foot outside, I don't think it will be a problem."
"Wait, were you….are you saying you've been sleeping in the back of Gold's shop? For how long?"
"I know it probably sounds silly," Belle admitted. "I just…I tried to go back to Gold's house after he died. I really did. But every time I did, the place just always seemed…so cold and empty. Being there, especially at night? All it did was remind me that he's gone, and isn't coming back. And that reminder just made it impossible to fall asleep. But that cot in the back of his shop; while it's probably not the most comfortable spot to sleep, it somehow feels…."
"Not as lonely." Jefferson finished with an understanding nod. "I know what you mean. After I lost Priscilla, it was a long time before I felt ready to start using the bed we once shared again. It felt too strange being in that bed and not feeling her lying next to me." Belle responded to that confession with a sad smile of empathy before carefully stepping around him, beginning to make her way across the street. For a brief moment, Jefferson seemed to be fighting some sort of internal war, but then he let out a loud sigh.
"Wait!" he called after her. Before turning to address Belle, who had immediately stopped in her tracks, Jefferson glanced over at Grace, meeting her gaze through the open car window. As if she knew what her father was intended to do, she gave a wide smile and nodded enthusiastically. Encouraged by Grace's endorsement, Jefferson turned to face Belle head on. "Thanks to Regina's curse, I ended up with a….rather large house. There's a…guest room that's never been touched. You're welcome to it, if you want."
"Oh, no." Belle shook her head. "I couldn't do that. I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Please," Jefferson insisted, surprising even himself with his persistence. "The curse may not have given me a psychology degree like it did the cricket, but I know this much. It's not…good… to isolate yourself after you lose someone. Even now, I know I never would have survived after losing Priscilla if it hadn't been for Grace. And besides, Zelena was supposedly taught by Rumpelstiltskin. It stands to reason she knows his tricks, and might have plans to use something he possessed. Can we be sure that she won't end up coming to Gold's shop to find it? And if that happens, what do you think she'll do if she finds you there on your own?" Belle glanced down at the pavement, thinking about what Jefferson said. She couldn't deny he made sense.
"Okay," she relented. But then a coy smile appeared on her face. "Just one thing, first. Shouldn't you be at Regina's right now? She's supposed to be conducting her séance." In response to those words, Jefferson immediately broke out laughing ironically.
"Do you think I want to be there when they contact that woman?" he asked, shaking his head in bemusement. "After she had me beheaded? And imprisoned me in a room where I wasn't allowed to leave unless I managed to create a replacement magic hat?"
"Oh." Belle looked away in embarrassment. "I see your point. Just let me grab something from Gold's shop. I'll be right back." Without another word, Belle crossed the street at a brisk pace, with Jefferson keeping an eye on her to make sure she made it inside okay. Once Belle was inside Gold's shop, Grace poked her head out of the car window.
"I'm really glad you invited her over, Papa," she said.
"I know. It's important to help others," Jefferson replied in a tone suggesting he'd heard Grace saying that many times before.
"Yes, but that's not what I meant," Grace explained. "You spent all those years during the curse without anyone to talk to. I'm glad you're reaching out and making friends." Jefferson didn't respond to that, but his expression instantly shifted as he contemplated that remark.
At his mansion, Jefferson stood alone in the living room, deep in thought as he stood by the large bay window. Belle and Grace seemed to have hit it off quite well during the car ride over, bonding over a shared love for the written word. Even now, he could hear them in the other room, having a deep discussion about a book Grace had discovered last week, about a young girl who was sent to live with her mysterious uncle after losing her parents in an epidemic, and how she discovered a long-neglected flower garden while exploring the grounds around her uncle's manor house. As much as it pleased him to hear his daughter speaking so enthusiastically, he couldn't bring himself to join in on the conversation. Instead, he simply stood by the window, allowing his mind to wander while occasionally checking his telescope for any sign of flying monkeys that might be lurking about outside.
"Papa!" Hearing Grace addressing him directly pulled Jefferson away from his thoughts and he turned to find she and Belle had joined him in the living room. "Is there any more of the spice cake we got from the bakery?"
"I think so. Check the top shelf of the pantry." Grace promptly left the room to locate the spice cake, leaving Jefferson alone with Belle.
"Thank you again for allowing me to stay here," Belle said.
"Think nothing of it. I hope Grace isn't bothering you too much."
"Of course not! She's a wonderful girl."
"Yes, I think so, too." Belle couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face at hearing the paternal pride in Jefferson's voice.
"So, what are you doing in here?" Belle asked, glancing around the room. "It almost feels like you're avoiding us by hiding out in here."
"That was not my intention," Jefferson explained. "This is…just not something I'm used to."
"What's not something you're used to?"
"Being with people. For a long time now, it was mainly something I only did for professional reasons. Such as when I was discussing the prices for the mushrooms I'd sell back in the Enchanted Forest. It was very rare that I'd spend time with people just for the sake of it. But these last few days, I'm finding myself actively conversing with Hook, and even telling you about Priscilla. I'd nearly forgotten just how….easy it could be to just spend time with people."
"It does tend to be easier when you're with someone you share a common interest with," Belle stated. After a brief pause, she decided to change the subject. "So, what were you doing in here?"
"Just checking the skies for any winged monkeys," Jefferson explained, gesturing to the telescope, which Belle looked through without further preamble.
"Wow," Belle said as she took in the view. "You can see all the way into town with this. Look! Archie's over at Marco's place, having dinner with him and Pinocchio."
"During the curse, I used it to look in on Grace. Then, when Emma entered the town, it helped me keep watch over how things were stating to change, as her very presence helped weaken the curse's effects. After the curse broke, I considered selling it, since I had no practical use for it any more. But Grace likes to use it to look at the night sky. And occasionally watch the birds building nests."
"Jefferson!" Belle suddenly exclaimed in an alarmed voice. "Something's happening at Regina's!"
"Let me see." Belle obediently stepped aside to look through the telescope, which was now aimed in the direction of Regina's mansion on the other side of town. Sure enough, there was an obvious commotion going on over there. Flashes of blue and purple lights could be seen in the upstairs windows, but it was hard to make out what was causing them. As he watched, one of the windows shattered, as if something had struck it from the inside.
"Something's wrong," he muttered, feeling uneasy. "I'm heading over to see what's happened."
"I'm going with you," Belle volunteered, starting to follow him out of the room.
"No!" Jefferson replied, spinning around, his eyes wide with fear and apprehension. "No. If you come along, we'd have to bring Grace. There is no way I'm going to leave her alone here. Not with Zelena and her flying monkeys on the loose. And I won't bring her over to Regina's when there's no telling what's going on over there. No, I need you to stay here to look after Grace until I get back. Could you do that for me?"
"Of course," Belle agreed, nodding in understanding.
"Thank you," Jefferson sighed in relief as he continued out of the room. When he reached the doorway, however, he paused to look back, a thought crossing his mind. "If you want, you can keep an eye on things with the telescope. You'll be able to see if something happens."
"Okay. Just be careful, all right?"
"I will." With that, Jefferson exited the room to head over to Regina's mansion.
When Jefferson had made it over to Regina's, things seemed to have quieted down, but he had arrived just in time to see the front door opening up and David escorting an ill-looking Mary Margret outside. Regina, Robin, Emma and Hook all filed out after them. When Jefferson exited his car, he managed to catch some of their conversation.
"If she knows something that could help…" Regina was saying.
"Regina, it's going to have to wait," David interrupted. "Look at her. We need to get her to Dr. Whale.
"What's going on?" Jefferson asked, making his way over. "We saw the commotion through my telescope. What happened?"
"We managed to contact Regina's mother," Robin explained. "But she didn't seem to be in a very talkative move. Instead, she did something to Mary Margret."
"And we're getting her to the hospital so she can be checked over," David announced, now glaring at Regina as if daring her to argue with him. "Whatever she may have learned, it can wait until…."
"David," Mary Margret cut in weakly. "It's okay. Just…let me sit down for a moment."
"Are you sure?" David asked, still visibly fearful for her well-being.
"Yes, I'm sure. I just need to sit down." David still looked unsure, but he helped Mary Margaret sit down on the front stoop. After taking a few steadying breaths, she began to speak. "Cora didn't want to give up Zelena. She was forced to. By my mother, Eva. She told a secret. Just like I did.
"Wait, I thought our family were the good guys," Emma said.
"Life is too messy for it to ever be that simple," Regina pointed out.
"Hold on a moment," Jefferson spoke up. "I'm sorry, but I'm gathering that this is what Cora's spirit told you, right? Are you really telling me you're going to take the word of a woman who thought the best way to ensure her daughter's happiness was to murder the man her daughter loved?" Before Mary Margret could reply to that, Jefferson pressed on. "Let's start at the beginning. What exactly was this secret that your mother told?"
"She was supposed to be married to my father, when he was still a prince." Mary Margret explained. "But she had a secret. Before she met Prince Leopold, she had been seduced by a man who claimed to be a prince, but was actually the palace gardener. When she discovered she was pregnant, the gardener refused to support or acknowledge the child. So Cora's good name was on the line. When she met Prince Leopold, she had the chance to save face and escape the shame of having a child out of wedlock. But my mother learned Cora's secret and told Prince Leopold. He sent Cora away in disgrace."
"Let me get this straight," Robin frowned as he took this in. "This Cora planned to deceive Prince Leopold by making him think he was the father of her illegitimate child. And because Eva found out and told Prince Leopold about the deception, we're supposed to view Eva as the villain in this drama?"
"Robin does bring up a good point," Hook agreed. "Marriage founded on a lie is never advisable."
At that moment, Mary Margret seemed to sway slightly, prompting David to steady her.
"Okay, you've done your part for the evening," David spoke up, once again shepherding Mary Margret to his truck. "Now we need to get you to Dr. Whale, to make sure you're both all right." This time, Mary Margret made no argument and allowed David to load her into the passenger seat.
"Wait a minute," Emma said, her father's words sinking in. "Both all right? What's going on?" David didn't reply right away, but Emma didn't miss how his back suddenly tensed up. After a few seconds, he turned to face her, his expression that of someone who'd just put his foot in his mouth.
"Oh, Emma," Mary Margret said, giving her an odd smile. "We're sorry. This isn't how your father and I wanted to tell you. We were hoping we'd get the chance to share the news after Zelena was taken care of, to give us all another reason to celebrate."
"Tell me what?" Emma asked. However, the tone of her voice suggested she already had an idea of what Mary Margret was saying.
"We're having a baby," David announced, giving his daughter a brief smile. Upon hearing this, Emma's eyes widened considerably. But she was able to push her shock aside enough to form a verbal response.
"That…that's great," she said. "Yeah, you're right; you should get down to see Dr. Whale. Make sure nothing went wrong when Cora possessed you." After taking a moment to pull Emma into a brief hug, David entered his truck and drove off in the direction of the hospital. But Emma remained rooted to the spot, staring off into space as her mind processed things. She knew she shouldn't have been shocked by this. After all, she'd known since the Echo Caves that her parents were thinking about having another baby. But it wasn't until she learned that there was actually a baby on the way that it all became real to her.
"Swan?" Hook spoke tentatively from behind her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Emma insisted, forcing her expression to become neutral as she looked over at him. But despite her efforts to act nonchalant, she could see she was not fooling Hook, as he continued to look at her with tender concern, and a touch of what appeared to be empathy. Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to fool him, Emma turned on her heel and began to make her way to her yellow bug. Even as she walked, she could feel Hook's gaze boring into her back.
Across town at Granny's, Henry and Neal were sitting at the front counter, Henry enjoying his cinnamon hot cocoa while Neal took the occasional sip from his glass of beer. Neither of them were currently aware of what had happened at Regina's. Or that they were being watched with close scrutiny from the figure sitting in the corner booth.
When he was sure no one was looking, Walsh climbed out of his seat and slipped away towards the back, heading in the way of the bathrooms. Instead of entering the restroom, he removed a small circular mirror from his pocket and held it up. Within moments, Zelena's face appeared in the surface of the mirror.
"Well?" Zelena asked, cutting right to the chase. "How did it go?"
"Everything is going as you planned," Walsh replied. "I've managed to get a foot in the door by officially meeting the Savior. It won't take me long to earn their trust."
"Well done, my clever little spy. I knew I could trust you with this task. Make sure to keep me posted."
"Of course," Walsh agreed with a smile, his eyes flashing red for a brief moment.
AN: As you can probably gather from this chapter, I wasn't a fan of the 'message' of the actual episode where Cora and Eva's backstory was explained, and how everyone seemed to be taking Cora's side. While I could tell the writers were trying to make us feel bad for Cora, they just ended up doing the complete opposite, and making Cora the one villain (apart from Pan) that I didn't have an ounce of sympathy for. Sure, Eva was a bit of a jerk about things, but she was absolutely right to tell Prince Leopold what Cora was doing. Cora was not only deliberately lying to the future king, but was planning to steal from him and the entire kingdom to keep her deception from being found out. I'm pretty sure that you can get executed for that in some countries. And when Prince Leopold gave her the chance to come clean, she chose to continue lying when she could have given him a sob story about how she was too scared to tell him about her baby. Seeing as how Prince Leopold seemed to have sincerely cared about Cora, I'm pretty sure he would have gone ahead and married her anyway if Cora had told him the truth when he confronted her. Not to mention the fact that she took her newborn baby out into the middle of the woods and just left her there to die when she could have just left Baby Zelena with a kindly peasant couple. I can't even pretend to feel sorry for someone who'd do that to their baby.
Rant aside, I was surprised that I was able to cover so much ground in this chapter. I hope it met everyone's satisfaction. Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome.