Chapter 28: The cricket game
Emma, Rose and Henry were entering the apartment after having bought everything to make enough tacos for that night's welcome home party. Once inside, Henry was telling his grandparents about it, but stopped when he saw that they were in bed. Emma had a horrified look on her face and Rose snorted trying to cover a laugh.
"Why don't you go put everything in the kitchen to start making the tacos?" Rose told Henry still trying not to laugh.
He went giving a last confusing look to his grandparents. They made and excuse, and Emma who still was horrified, told them to put a tie on the door next time. She left to join Henry in the kitchen. Rose looked at them with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"If you wanted to traumatize your kid, you nailed it." She gave them a thumbs up.
She went to the kitchen and helped make the tacos, while Emma whispered to her how wrong the whole situation had been. Rose couldn't help but laugh.
That night they entered Granny's and everyone cheered. Granny approached them to help set the tacos on the counter.
"I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn't have to kill first." Said Emma throwing a glare at Rose.
"Oh, come on. It was just a couple of rabbits." Said Rose rolling her eyes.
"She is right you know. At least rabbits don't fight back. Meat loaf back home? What a bitch." Said Granny chuckling with Rose.
Emma groaned and went to set down the tacos. Then Rose was tackle with a hug by Ruby and Belle. She laughed and hugged them back.
"Just so you know. I wasn't worried a bit." Said Ruby with tears in her eyes.
"And I believe you." Said Rose with a laugh.
"I'm so glad you are back. Please say you will tell us everything?" Said Belle eagerly.
"Sure. What about we have a girl's night and I tell you everything?" Said Rose looking at her friends.
Both nodded, but before they could make plans, David started a speech. Everyone toasted, but everything got quiet when Regina entered. Leroy asked what she was doing there.
"I invited her." Said Emma and Rose at the same time.
They looked at each other and smiled. It seems that they had thought the same thing. David and Mary-Margaret took them aside and asked why.
"We're celebrating today because of Regina. She helped us get home. No matter what she did in the past, we owe her our thanks now." Explained Emma, and Rose nodded.
Mary-Margaret pointed out how she had tried to kill them the day before.
"No, she didn't. She's trying to change for Henry. He believes in her. And, right now, that's enough for me. I couldn't have changed if I wasn't given a chance." Rebutted Emma.
"Exactly. Everyone deserves a second chance." Said Rose. "And what kind of good guys would we be, if we didn't give her one. She is making an effort."
They gave up and decided that Regina could stay. After all, Rose was right. She was making an effort to change, and they were the good guys. She deserved a second chance. The night progressed with no further problems, but Rose saw Regina sitting alone in a booth. She went to sit with her.
"I have to say I like your lasagna better than your turnover." Said Rose with a grin and a wink. "It must be the lack of curse after-taste."
Regina chuckled and shook her head.
"My cooking is always excellent." She said taking a sip of her drink and smiled. "I can make you another turnover. This time with no curse."
"I'll never say no to desserts. Especially if they have apples." Rose said with a grin.
"Thank you for talking with me, Rose. I appreciate it." She said standing up. "But I'm going to take my leave."
"Okay. Just give them time. They'll come around. Good people don't tend to hold grudges for long." Rose told her with a soft smile.
"I hope so." Regina said returning the smile and leaving.
Everyone was gathered in the meeting room. They were discussing what to do with the Evil Queen, now that they had captured her. After hearing different suggestions, David stood up.
"Then only one thing is certain. As long as the Queen lives, the kingdom is in danger." Snow looked at him in surprise. "Yes. We must kill the Queen. Thank you all."
Everyone left, except David and Snow. Snow wasn't convinced about the idea of killing the Queen, but David was adamant that she wouldn't change.
"This is an execution. If we don't stop her now, there's no telling what she'll live to do." He said.
"I think you are being too rash." A voice said from the door.
They turned and saw Rose Red at the door with Red. Rose turned to her friend, they smiled at each other and Red left to give them some privacy.
"Maybe you should give her a test to see if she is truly beyond redemption." Snow smiled and nodded, but David frowned and shook his head. "At least give her an option. To leave and never return with punishment by death or an execution."
"How are you so sure that she is capable of changing? She has tried to kill your sister a thousand times!" Yelled David.
"First of all, don't you dare yell at me." Said Rose glaring at him.
Snow frowned and pulled him down to his chair, squeezing his hand painfully. He might have been her true love, but no one disrespected her sister. She glared at him and David made the wise choice to shut up.
"Second, we have known Regina longer than you. We have seen her turn to who she is now. So believe me, we know she is capable of change."
"I understand your point, but I think it's too dangerous. We are still having her executed." Said David with finality.
Snow and Rose looked at each other and sighed. This execution was going to be hard for them. They still remembered the Regina that had saved Snow.
It was the day of the execution and Regina was in her cell, when a guard approached and told her she had a visitor. She turned to the door and saw her father. She approached him and they talked for a while.
He asked her to apologize, so they could leave and start anew somewhere else. Regina had other thoughts in mind, but then realized something.
"Wait, father. How come you are here?" She asked him.
He turned around and Regina saw Rose leaning against the wall. She smiled softly at Regina and nodded her head in greeting.
"She found me and told me what was going to happen. I was only allowed to talk to you because of her." Said Henry with a kind smile directed at the redhead.
Before Regina could thank the young woman, the guards came to take her to her execution. Rose accompanied Henry to the courtyard. Once there, Regina was tied to a post. Jiminy asked her if she had any last words. Henry looked at her with hope. But Regina couldn't let go of her anger, and said for everyone to hear that she regretted nothing, but having failed to cause more death and pain and not being able to kill Snow White.
David called for the archers to shoot, and Rose squeezed Snow's shoulder. Snow stood up and told the archers to stop. Blue was able to stop the arrows before they struck Regina. David turned to Snow in wonder.
"Rose was right. This is not the way to do it." She said leaving.
Rose followed her, while David ordered for Regina to be taken back to her cell.
David and Emma came out of the interrogation room and met with Rose and Mary-Margaret. David was convinced that Regina was guilty, but Emma wasn't so convinced.
"We can't lock her up, because she didn't do it." She told David.
She said that Regina didn't know that Archie was dead. Mary-Margaret and David tried to convince her otherwise, but she just told them that the old Regina would have burned the place down. Rose nodded.
"And Regina was right. Whoever did this, it wasn't Regina. She is not stupid enough to kill someone and leave the body behind." Said Rose getting frustrated with Mary-Margaret and David.
"With all due respect, you don't know her like we do." Said David to Emma, and then turned to Rose. "And you don't even remember her."
"Maybe that's the problem." Said Emma quickly, before Rose punched David. "I know in your kingdom, she was the Evil Queen. But here, she's Regina. And I'm still the Sheriff, and I say she's innocent until proven guilty."
"If I were you, I would get my head out of my ass, and see what's happening." Said Rose to David with a glare. "Every time someone has been killed, or looked to be killed, it wasn't what it seemed. What would make this time any different? If you truly believe Regina is guilty, then do your damm job and find proofs. You know, for saying that you are the good guys, you are very quick to condemn people."
With that, Rose left and Emma told them that she was going to let Regina go, so they could find the truth. David looked at Mary-Margaret who had a frown on her face.
"She might not be herself yet, but she still manages to scare the crap out of me." Said David with a nervous laugh.
Snow looked at him with a glare and pointed to the door Rose had just gone through. David sighed and followed the redhead.
"Rose, wait!" Called David. "I'm sorry. You are right. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I'll work with Emma to find out what really happened. Whatever the truth is, I'll accept it."
"Care to make a bet?" Said Rose with a small smile.
"The one who was right buys the other lunch at Granny's for a week?" Said David with a grin.
That was how they always had resolved their spats in the Enchanted Forest. Whoever turned out to be right, had to feed the other for a week. Unfortunately for David, he always ignored his wife's warnings that betting against Rose was a sure way to lose. David was hopeful that Rose would regain her memories soon.
Snow was walking on the courtyard observing the post that mere hours ago had hold Regina. She was thinking what to do about her, when she heard a voice.
"My, my. Aren't we troubled, dearie?" Said Rumpelstiltskin.
"Rumpelstiltskin." Said Snow with a small smile. "What brings you here? Checking up on Rose?"
"I came to witness the Queen's execution." He said with a small frown.
He didn't' like the tone the princess used when she said Rose's name. It seemed that she was aware of her sister's involvement with him. He wasn't surprised. Those sisters told each other everything. Well, almost everything.
"Even had my heart set on a wee souvenir. It's all very disappointing." Snow told him why she could kill Regina. "Regina redeemed. What a novel thought. And, um, how do you plan to accomplish such an impressive feat?"
Snow didn't know what to do. But then the Dark One said something that caught her attention.
"I provide you with a test to help determine whether the Queen can truly change."
Snow laughed a little at that and the imp frowned. He asked why she was laughing.
"Rose." She said looking at him with a smile. "You spoke with Rose. That's why you are doing this for free. You truly lo-"
"Question my motives all you like, dearie, but they shall remain mine." He said before she could finish. "What is yours now, is opportunity. I can help you. Do we have a deal?"
Emma, Mary-Margaret and David were looking through Archie's office. David saw that Regina's file was empty and for him and Mary-Margaret, that was enough evidence. But Emma shook her head.
"Well, I don't know how it is in fairy tale land, but in the real world, it's usually hard to find evidence. But this has been way too easy. It's like Rose said, someone wants us to find evidence." Explained Emma.
Mary-Margaret was open to the suggestion. Emma and Rose were right, it wasn't the first time that someone was framed for murder in this town. They started to think about who could have done it, when Emma thought of someone.
"There's only one name on that list that would resort to killing to get what they want."
Mary-Margaret and David knew who she was refereeing to, but unlike David whi was on board, Mary-Margaret had her reserves. She knew he wouldn't do something that would upset Rose, at least not so openly.
At Mr. Gold's shop, Belle presented Rose and Gold with a basket with lunch for two. They looked at her in surprised and she smiled.
"After everything that has happened, I know that one night is not enough to catch up. Why don't you take this and go have lunch? I will take care of the shop."
"Thank you, Belle. That's very considered." Said Gold with a smile.
"Yeah, thanks. I owe you one." Said Rose with a big smile.
"No need." Said Belle shaking her head. "You will just have to answer all my questions tomorrow night."
"You got it." Said Rose and both laughed.
Then, Emma, Mary-Margaret and David entered. Gold groaned and Rose glared at David, who averted his gaze. They accused Gold of killing Archie and framing Regina and that made Rose bristle with anger. Belle saw it and jumped to defend her friend, and keep her other friend from fighting with her family.
"What makes you so sure of that?" She said standing in front of Gold and Rose. "Is Regina not capable of doing it? What proof do you have?"
Gold suggested that they ask the witness, so they could know what really happened. Everyone looked confused. No one had seen the murder.
"Wait, you mean Pongo?" Asked Rose with a raised eyebrow.
David came back with Pongo, and Gold explained how they could extract his memories of that night with magic. Emma was suspicious, she didn't trust Gold not to manipulate the memories in his favor.
"I'm not going to be the one using magic. You are." He told her.
Mary-Margaret told her that she didn't have to do it, but Emma was going to do it if it helped solve Archie's murder. Gold took out a dream catcher and passed it over Pongo. It started to glow and he gave it to Emma.
He told her that the dream catcher now had Pongo's memories. She just had to will it to show them. She grabbed it and concentrated. When she really started to try, an image formed. They could see Archie speaking with Regina and her grabbing him. Before they could see her kill him, Emma dropped the dream catcher and left the store. Mary-Margaret and David followed her.
"So, she really did it?" Asked Belle.
"I'm not entirely convinced." Said Rose, and turned to Gold. "Could you show us the rest of what happened? Something doesn't feel right."
"I could, but do you trust me not to alter the memories?" He asked.
"I'm not comfortable with you using magic." Said Belle and grabbed Rose's hand. "But I trust Rose. If she says something is not right, then we have to figure it out."
Gold nodded and grabbed the dream catcher, activating it once more.
Snow went up the tower to see Regina and test her. She checked that the knife was in place on her sleeve, and then told the knight to leave. After a conversation with her, Snow opened Regina's cell.
"I'm letting the woman who saved my life go. This is a chance to start fresh, Regina. To leave the evil behind in this cell."
Regina stood up and left the cell, but after two steps, she pinned Snow to the wall. Snow grabbed the knife, but Regina took it from her. She went to stab her, but she saw that the knife didn't create a wound. David with some knights and Rose came up the stairs.
"Rumpelstiltskin. He took one of your hairs from this, and used it to fashion a protection spell." Regina was shocked. "Now there's nothing you can do in this land to hurt Snow or me. You're powerless against us."
Regina accused them of tricking her. Rose shook her head and stood beside her sister.
"It wasn't a trick. It was a test." She took Snow's hand and smiled sadly at Regina. "One that we had truly hoped you'd pass."
"Regina, you are banished. Banished to live alone with your misery." Said Snow putting on a brave face. "You saved my life once, and now I've saved yours. So we're even. And if you ever try to hurt anyone in my kingdom again, I will kill you."
"So, you truly think that Archie is alive?" Asked Belle.
"Yes." Said Rose with a frown. "It was hard to see with the smoke, but the way Archie just stopped moving, doesn't seem right. If you die asphyxiated, you are bound to twitch more than that."
"Now we just have to find where he is." Said Belle, understanding Rose's logic.
"Yes. Do you think you can help? See if you can find any information in the library? I will try to find more evidence."
"Of course, leave it to me." Said Belle happy to help. "But why aren't we getting help from Rumpel?"
"Any evidence we provide will be dismissed, if he had something to do with it." Said Rose shaking her head. "It's up to us."
The two friends separated and went to fulfill their missions. They were going to find the real culprit.