"Of course, this has to be on the top shelf," Emma muttered as she stood in the walk-in pantry and looked up at the high shelf. In her hands, she held flour that Granny had given her to go and store. The goal was to put the tin on the top shelf and the only way Emma was going to do that was to grow a few more inches or find someone tall and use them to do it; however, there is another option, by magic. She needed Regina to show her how to bring that tin to my hands or do it at the same time and bring the flour up there in the tin if that's possible. Emma put the flour on the nearest shelf she could reach and stuck her head out the pantry. James was about to walk past when she pulled his jacket.

"Stop doing that!"

"How else am I going to get your attention?"

Henry glared at Emma, "how about using my name?"

"Goliath, can—"

He shook his head, "My real name. My name is not Goliath."

"It should be," Emma replied and looked up at the scowling soldier. "Oh, come on, you like it."

"No, I do not!" James responded and followed Emma into the pantry. "This was not built for midgets," he said as he gazed up at the high shelving.

Emma gave him the flour, which he effortlessly placed on the top shelf. "My name is James."

"No, it's not."

"I know what my name is."

"It's Heinrich Goliath."

"It is not."

"What kind of name is James? That doesn't sound like you."

"Why do you always have to be so disagreeable?"

Emma grinned, "It's fun and I like it."

James looked down at Emma and smiled. Just as he was about to respond, they heard Cruella De Vil's voice. James sighed heavily and put his finger to his lips to indicate to Emma not to speak. Ever so quietly as not to betray their location, James turned off the light. The door was slightly ajar, and he didn't attempt to close it.

"What…" Emma's question was cut short by James' large hand, which he placed gently over her mouth.

"Don't talk," James mouthed as De Vil, and someone else stopped just feet away from the pantry.

"Do you have to leave, Cora?"

"I must, unfortunately. I must return to the throne and make plans when I already seen about the concerns about Regina."

"I didn't have any doubts."

"You are such a gentle soul, De Vil. Sometimes, I thought that the treatments don't always work and further needed to add more potions needs to be done, but you are a soft heart."

De Vil laughed, and Cora joined her. Inside te pantry, Emma froze. That laugh. The same sound she heard the day her mama was killed. The laugher she thought belonged to Regina. Emma scowled.

"Do you have any doubts that the treatment hasn't worked? Cora wondered.

"None, my Dear Cora."

"Have you told King Leopold about this earlier today?"

"I did. He is satisfied that Regina is cured."

"Are you worried about that maid?"

Emma's eyebrows rose and quickly glanced at James, who was bopping his head up and down.

"No. Emma's young and they hate each other."

De Vil laughed again, causing Emma to cringe. "They don't hate each other. They detest each other, and that's why King Leopold thought she was perfect for the job."

Cora seems didn't know about this certain information, "Because she hated her?"

"Yes, it's a common knowledge in the village. King Leopold thought Regina wouldn't be tempted or attempt another escape."

"Regina is not going to be tempted or attempt of any kind!"

"What?" Emma mouthed silently to James, who brought his finger up to his lips for her not to speak out loud.

"I know that, but King Leopold doubted it. Did you try and test her?"

"I did. I got slapped."

Cora's laugh and triumph filtered through into the pantry. Emma's eyebrows rose in an unasked question.

"Did she really?"

"Oh, yes and it was pretty hard. I expected nothing less. I think it's genuine."

"Well, I fear what this would do to King Leopold if it didn't work."

"Sometimes it doesn't work, and the only way is to put them out of their misery."

"Well, I'm glad it did work."

"You have to get out of the house and walking. She refused to leave her room while I am here."

"She walks to the church now, but I've been encouraging King Leopold and Nurse Blue to get her to go further. Yet, she hasn't made any escape or interacting any villagers."

"I do not want her to go to that house, the house she has been attending."

Emma shook her head and smiled. You two are so dumb, she thought.

"What about the maid? We know she's part of the Resistance."

"Everyone is in it, De Vil. I don't think Regina is involved here. Not like when she did back home."

Emma quickly glanced up at James, who was scowling. She noticed the vein in his neck pulsate and wondered if he knew about Regina's secret activities.

"I don't think you are right about that. Regina was mourning for Daniel, and the last thing she would be doing was to collaborate with the guard."

"King Leopold seems to think she was, but here it's different, although he doesn't want her go anywhere near at that part of the village."

"Young Emma is in it, but she doesn't make it a secret. That girl is not shy about telling anyone who cares to listen."

"That's why she's not a threat."

Emma snickered, that is why I am perfect for the job, idiots. James looked up at the ceiling of the pantry and quietly chuckled for a moment with Emma before he glanced down at Emma, who was wagging her fingers at him.

"I hope so. I wish you could stay longer, Cora."

"As much as I would love to, I have to go back to my throne."

"Before you catch your carriage, is it possible I'll take you to the top of the hill? It's gorgeous."

"Hm, that would be nice."

Emma's face creased into a smile as Cora and De Vil walked down the corridor. After a long moment, she glanced at Henry. "What was that?!"

"That was the famous two."

"Colorful," Emma quipped only to find that James scowl had intensified. "James, was Cruella De Vil present when you all decided to kill people?"

"I didn't kill anyone!"

"Was she there?"

"Yes," James replied quickly. "She was standing behind me. She usually comes here often and sometimes she travels with Cora."

Emma shook her head slowly, "it was her."

James stood quietly and allowed Emma to process the revelation on her own. After a long moment, he put his hand on her shoulder. "It was never Regina."

"You know about that?"

"I have ears."

Emma good-naturedly grumbled as she opened the door, and they left the pantry. She watched James's laugh when he walked away. Emma stood in the corridor looking down at the wooden floorboards, deep in thought. She did an about face and almost skipped down the hallway to the kitchen.

Emma ordered the men on the table to stop the argument, near the cave where no one knows about except us. Emma has been sitting down with Father Henry to hear of their plans regarding the Evil Queen and the White Kingdom. The uprising since they heard rumors of the Evil Queen's plan is to wipe everyone out by the dark curse. We just found out that she has been talking to Rumple even he's still locked underground. We don't know what it will do to us nor what will happen to us.

They continued discussing calmly and planning to sabotage De Vil's carriage when she leaves in few days after keeping close eye with Regina, Cora's daughter. Cora still mistrust Regina's intention and her whereabouts since it is unusual for Regina to not do anything, no escape attempt or even complaints anymore coming from her. Cora had thought she had been secretly planning to kill Leopold, but she hasn't yet. I know she feels like she's in prison, the more I talk to her then the more I realize her place midst of all this. She practices dark magic when she learnt from Rumple and still does. Every day, she is becoming powerful enchantress, and probably equally powerful to her own mother, Cora. I always watch her practicing or reading spell books in secret, I don't know how it will work between my white magic and hers.

She lost her train of thoughts about everything until Father Henry nudges her shoulder, "Emma?"

"Mmm?" Emma looked up and realizes she missed the half of the discussion.

"What do you think?"

What do I think of what? I truly do not know, "it will take her months to create this Dark Curse, probably a year, I am assuming. I think we should wait, so we can build another prison that will magically protect Cora from us or find a way to strip from her powers."

The dwarfs agreed, "we will work on it with Mother Blue."

Another group of men asked, "What of Cruella De Vil?"

"Set fire and sabotage the carriage."

"Emma!" Father Henry didn't like how she wants to kill Cruella De Vil so cold. Emma ignored him, "Cruella De Vil has been Cora's eyes and ears for some time, so it's time to do something about this. This is an opportunity that is presented to us, so I suggest we take this opportunity to take her out." The meeting was adjured, and everyone has left to do their place and duties, but Emma and Father Henry stayed behind.

Emma felt hurt and angry when he told Regina about the event when she transforms into a man and he seeks out Regina, he has no right to do that! Father Henry with soft and warning tone, "Emma?"

"No, you don't get to say anything when you come running to Regina about me! You had no right to tell her anything about me!"

"I only did this out of concern, my dear Emma. I was worried and I haven't heard from you in days, so I seek Regina for help because I do not know much about magic."

"What happens if Regina tells Cora?! Have you thought of that? What happens if Cora's men or someone was following her?" Emma interrupted Henry when he's about to say something, "what about her guards? What did the guards think she was going?!"

"Emma, you need to stop letting hate to eat you up. Why do you mistrust Regina so much?"

"She's with them! She's bedding with the enemy and she's hiding behind them, then lets them do what they want to do with us!" Emma glared at him when she stood up and about to walk away, doesn't want to talk about this anymore then tilted with her arms stretched out as if she's pointing at Regina from the distance, "either she's with us or with them. There's … she can't work both sides and say she's with us. It doesn't work that way."