Storybrooke. Cafe "Granny's".
— The last thing in the world I would like to see is you! — Mr. Gold snapped. — What did you want?
— Well, — Hook waved his hand vaguely. — There are various rumors going around the city, saying that the Dark One has returned. I decided to find out - why?
— And what kind of sadness is it for you? — Mr. Gold asked, puzzled.
— So I know you, "Crocodile", — Jones rubbed his ear habitually. — You don't do anything for nothing. Suddenly, I do not know, you decided to get heart back?
— So you're worried about yourself? Don't be afraid, pirate, your "precious" life is not in danger, — Mr. Gold said. — I'm here solely for my daughter.
— So, there really is a daughter,— the pirate grinned. — If you need any advice on parenting, then you ask, I will help.
— Listen, go where you were going,— Mr. Gold said sharply. — This will be my advice to you.
— You somehow deteriorated after death, "Crocodile", — said Hook, laughed at his own joke and went to the exit.
— Rumpel, — Regina looked at Mr. Gold. — He gave me an idea. What if Alex talks to Emma? When she arrived, she didn't really believe in magic either.
— Not a bad idea,— Mr. Gold replied. — Just for starters, it would be nice to find Alex. And I really hope she's still in town.
— Do you think she left? — Regina asked.
— I really hope not,— Mr. Gold sighed. — But so hot-tempered. And before she ran away, she promised that she would leave.
— What did you want? — Regina chuckled. — She is the daughter of the darkest magician and my not the best half. Apparently, she took the maximum from each parent.
— Yeah,— Belle added.
The Well of Desires .
Alex came out to a strange concrete structure. It was round and had a roof. A young woman was standing next to him.
— What is it? — Alex asked.
At the sound of the voice, the young woman started and turned around. Alex smiled and pressed her hands to her chest.
— I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, — she said.
— Nothing,— the young woman replied. — I didn't think there was anyone else here. Do you also want to make a wish?
The young woman pointed to a small building.
— Oh, no. Is it magical too? What is it anyway? — Alex asked.
— The Well of Desires, — the young woman smiled and pointed to the sign. — Here. Everything is written. Have you also suffered from magic?
— In the sense of "also"? — Alex was surprised.
— Oh, it's a long story,— the young woman replied sadly. — Once I was swept away with a hurricane to the Land of Oz. But that was a long time ago, in childhood.
— To the Land of Oz? — Alex's eyes narrowed. — What's your name? Not Dorothy by any chance?
— Dorothy! — The young woman smiled. — Dorothy Gale. And you?
— And my name is Alex, — the young girl shook her head. — Wait a minute. But does not exist no magic!
— That's what I thought, too, until I got to Oz. Where there are different wizards, good, evil and cute zhivuns. And then it turned out that people can turn into wolves.
— Yes! I saw that too! — Alex was happy at first, and then sad. — Damn it! So it wasn't a dream…
— Stop. Have you seen Ruby? — Dorothy asked. — I mean, how does she turn into a wolf? When?
— Last night — Alex said, puzzled. — Do you know her too?
— Of course I know — Dorothy bit her lower lip. — She's my wife.
— Yes, she said something to me when we first met, — Alex nodded.
— And what world are you from? — Dorothy asked.
— Oh — Alex smiled. — from the real. Just like you.
— And what are you doing here? — Dorothy was surprised. — It's difficult for people to get here.
— I came to look for my parents,— Alex sighed. — And Mr. Gold seems to be my father.
— Oh,— Dorothy said sympathetically.
— What does that mean? — Alex was immediately wary.
— He was a Dark One. He had a dagger with which he did all sorts of villainy. This city, in part, is his handiwork.
— What other villainies? — Alex said dismissively.
— For example, he could easily tear out the heart and crush it. And the person was dying.
— Bullshit! — Alex exclaimed. — Who told you this?
— Ruby, — Dorothy shrugged her shoulders. — She told me a lot of things.
— I don't believe you! — The young girl exclaimed.
Alex's hands clenched into fists again, and fireballs formed around them again. Dorothy noticed this and moved away.
— Wow,— she said. — I'm afraid to even ask who your mother is. Is it Maleficent?
— Go away! — Alex shouted.
She only clenched her fists tighter, flaring her nostrils rapaciously. Dorothy hurried back to the hotel. Alex didn't want to hurt anyone, so after Dorothy left, she remembered what Regina had taught her. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, the fireballs were gone, and her hands were whole. No burns or damage.
Storybrooke. Cafe "Granny's"
— Hook! — Belle exclaimed suddenly. — How did I not guess right away.
— What are you talking about now? — Mr. Gold turned to his wife.
— About our return to the Underworld. When I asked Zeus how we would get back, he then went through a mountain of his scrolls, because he himself was not aware. When he found it, answered: through the portal - the grave of the one who came to life. The only one who came to life in Storybrooke is Hook.
— That is? — Mr. Gold grinned. — And you and me?
— My grave is at the Junction of Times, and yours is in the World of Desires. It will take more than a day to find her.
— Guys,— Regina said doubtfully. — I'm sorry to upset you, but there is no grave.
— Of course not,— Belle nodded. — I mean the real Hook, not this one from the Desire World.
— Belle, um, you see, we demolished his grave. He's alive, why does he need a grave? —Regina looked at the confused faces of the Gold's couple. — Come on, I'll show you.
And she waved her hand, carrying the whole trio to the cemetery. The three of them were standing in an empty place, where Killian Jones' grave used to be.
— How so? — Belle was upset. — How long ago?
— About ten years,— Regina shrugged.
Belle sighed again, turned around and walked back. But after just a couple of steps, she froze.
— Regina! — Belle was looking at another tombstone. — I think it's your Robin.
— Yes... — Regina walked over to the girl and looked at the tombstone.— This is his grave.
— You don't understand. The one you found in the Enchanted Forest. Your Robin.
— Belle, when did you pick up optimism from Henry? — Regina threw up her hands.
— You can be indignant as much as you want, — Mr. Gold smiled out of the corner of his lips, — but what does your heart tell you?
— You should talk to him,— Belle added. — Where do you think he is now?
— Belle, — Regina suddenly tensed,— what are you up to?
— I want to try to make a displacement, — Belle smiled slyly. — I have magic.
And she clapped her hands sharply. Regina only managed to raise her hand in a gesture of protest, but immediately disappeared into the gray smoke.
Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest.
Regina plopped down on her fifth point, but very successfully on some kind of pile: either leaves or rags.
— I can't believe it! — she was loudly indignant and added somewhere up. — You still have to work with the displacement!
Robin came out from behind the tree, he was looking at his feet, looking for something, but when he looked up, he stared at her as if she were a ghost.
— Regina? — Robin stopped. — What are you doing here?
— I'm picking mushrooms! — Regina replied. — Are you going to watch it like that? Or will you help me get up?
— Yes, of course! — Robin replied.
He came out of his stupor, walked up to her, took her hands and lifted her in one movement. He did it so abruptly that their faces were a millimeter apart. He froze and studied her face. There was a flicker of fright in her eyes for a second, but then they reflected so much warmth and something that Robin could not understand. He suddenly felt with his whole being that he knew her. He knows from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
Regina was unable to move away from him. She desperately wanted to kiss him, she even opened her mouth and looked at his lips. Robin, as if hearing her thoughts, joined his lips. And so, at the wrong time, man remembered a strong guy who hugged Regina and said that he loved her, and then kissed her on the cheek. Robin suddenly pulled away and walked away.
— I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, — Robin said.
He didn't know how to deal with her. On the one hand he was attracted to her, on the other he did not know what Regina herself wanted. Who knows, maybe she didn't like this impulse of his.
— Robin ... — Regina covered her mouth with her hand, tears welled up in her eyes.
Even that brief brush of lips was enough for Regina to realize that it was him — her Robin. It was impossible, incomprehensible, and highly absurd. Regina burst into tears from an overabundance of feelings and thoughts.
When Robin finally decided to look up at her, she was covering her mouth with her hand, and tears were streaming down her face. He got upset and realized that he had ruined everything.
— I think I'd better go,— he said.
— Robin! No!— Regina said desperately.
She held out her hands in his direction, but he still turned around and left. Regina stood for a while after he left, hoping that he would come back, and when that didn't happen, waved her hands and disappeared with lilac smoke.
Storybrooke. Hotel "Granny's".
Mr. Gold was sitting with both hands on his cane. When there was a knock on the door, he was delighted. He opened the door and smiled: Alex was standing behind the door. But she was frowning and focused.
— Alex,— Mr. Gold said, — I'm so glad you're still in Storybrooke.
— I'm going to get a book, — the young girl replied gloomily.
— Of course, come in, — he stood aside, letting his daughter in.
Alex saw the book, picked it up and began flipping through the pages. She was standing with her back to him, and he was standing behind, not daring to approach.
— What are you looking for there? — he asked sympathetically.
— I want to know who Maleficent is, — Alex said over her shoulder.
— A dragon,— Mr. Gold replied.
Alex closed the book with a click and turned around.
— What? — she said.
— I can introduce you if you want,— Mr. Gold replied. — We were friends for a while.
— When? — Alex replied and put the book down. — When did you commit your villainies?
— I told you I wasn't a very good person,— Mr. Gold said with a slight reproach. — Not even quite human.
— Not a very good person is when a person drinks often, more than once a week, and swears obscenities! — Alex was indignant.— But to tear out the heart? How is that at all?
— Ask your mother! — Mr. Gold replied sharply, but after a second he regretted it. — I'm sorry, Alex. I don't want to talk about my, in every sense, dark past. All my misdeeds are described in the book. Yes, I was terrible, but I did it all to find my son and bring him back. Henry's father. There are so many things I wanted to talk to you about, but tomorrow at noon I'm going back with Belle.
— Do you love her? — Alex asked.
— Very much,— Mr. Gold nodded. — I was very sad when she died. And I kept looking for a meeting with her. And since I was a Dark One, I lived forever. And do you know how I died?
Alex shook her head.
— Tore out myself heart. And gave it to another person. Because his heart was poisoned, and he could not be near his daughter. When his heart was completely burned by the poison, I gave him mine.
— Wow, — Alex was surprised. — What's his name? That person?
— Killian Jones,— Mr. Gold smiled.— But everyone calls him Captain Hook.
— Really? — Alex sat down. — Are you kidding?
— Not at all, Alex,— Mr. Gold picked up the book and handed it to his daughter. — I'm not just asking you to read it. I want you to know everything, and then decide for yourself who I am: a villain or a hero.
Storybrooke. Cafe "Granny's".
Killian Jones, or, as many people knew him, Captain Hook, was sitting in a cafe and sipping rum. Henry sat down next to her.
— Hi, Hook. Are you drinking again? — Henry asked. — So you will never find a wife for yourself.
— I love your mother,— Hook replied. — You know that very well.
— There is only one problem, she is already married. Behind the other Hook.
— Well, then you write me a love story. You're a Storyteller.
— For starters, I'm just a chronicler. My task is to record, not invent. And then: I retired. Ask my young doppelganger.
Killian's cell phone rang. He looked at the number and chuckled.
— Who is this? — Henry asked.
— Your mother, — the pirate smiled.
— Emma? — Henry's eyes widened.
— No, Regina,— Killian said, and picked up the phone. — I am listening to you, Your Majesty.
— Hook, — Regina sighed nervously. — It's a good thing you're still in Storybrooke. Tell me, has your daughter returned from Agrabah yet?
— Yes. She's back,— the pirate frowned in bewilderment. — And why do you need my daughter?
— I don't need your daughter, Hook. I need my niece. Please tell her when you see her that I need her urgently! Preferably right now.
— Well, I'm here and she's at home,— Killian said.
— You've become slow to think,— Regina replied. — Are you drinking? The sooner you get home, the sooner you'll let her know!
— Why the rush? — Hook asked. — Is something wrong?
— It's none of your business! — Regina answered and hung up.
Hook stared at the phone in disbelief, and then at Henry.
— Do you know how you can quickly get to The World of Desires? Maybe you can get a magic bean somewhere?
— What? — Henry tensed. — What did Mom say?
— Nothing extraordinary, — Hook stood up resolutely. — I just realized that if I don't bring my daughter-in-law to her now, I will become a pile of ashes.
Henry's mouth dropped open in surprise.