Chapter 2

The Counts Untold Story

Regina went to the diner to reassure the new residents from the land of untold stories being here was a fresh start. Belle came in and was about to ask Emma where Granny was when Emma exclaimed "you're here and awake"!

Neal asked "and my dad"?

Belle said "we came back at separately. I love him but I also hate him and what he's been putting me through".

Neal replied "understandable, that's how I feel towards him too".

Belle explained "since we're not together I'm in need of a place to stay. I was wondering if I could get a room".

Neal answered "so do a lot of the new arrivals, I've actually been wondering if there's enough rooms for all of them. I'm sure we could find you somewhere else to stay, right Emma".

Emma was about to say yes when she suddenly remembered "only if you can wait until after my appointment with Archie".

Neal explained to Belle "with everything that's happened it would seem they are taking a toll on Emma now. I'm impressed she's decided to start therapy".

Emma said "after everything I've been through I need a professional to talk to".

Before she left Tally came up and hugged her tight. Emma knelt down and whispered "it is not going to happen, not if I can help it".

Tally went to sit with Henry and when a man came in after Henry asked "what's your name? Maybe I could find your story and let you start where you left off".

The man answered "where I left off was not all that well. Going to the land of untold stories preserved my happiness but now…"

Henry said "sorry to hear that. But the good thing is this town is the perfect place for a fresh start".

The man got out an envelope and said "if you want to help could you make sure this gets to the right people".

The man put the envelope of the counter and left. Henry picked up the envelope and saw a was seal with the letters MC. When he turned it over he was surprised it was addressed to Snow White and Prince Charming.

They quickly gave the letter to Snow and David, Snow asked "who gave this to you".

Henry said "just this man".

Tally added "he was rather shabby and had scraggily brown hair".

David said "doesn't widen the field. Did he say anything else".

Tally "no, just to give you the letter".

Henry asked "do you think he's the invisible man".

Tally said "would he be visible in Storybrooke"?

Henry guessed "okay maybe a vampire, what if he's Count Dracula". Tally raised an eyebrow and pointed up and Henry realised "oh it's day time, can't be him".

Snow said "but he still might be a count. The MC could mean Monte Cristo".

Granny who'd been cleaning the tables said "not on the menu, never a fan of the eggy bread".

Snow said "I mean the place, he could be the count of Monte Cristo".

David asked "but what would the Count of Monte Cristo want with us, we've never even met him".

Regina coming out and said "actually you have, your wine steward Edmond, he was the Count of Monte Cristo".

Tally asked "how do you know"?

Regina answered "because I hired him. He'd been betrayed by his friend and knew his friend wasn't working alone and I told him I would tell him who else betrayed him if he killed Snow White and Prince Charming for me".

While Regina, Snow and David went to check Edmonds room Emma said "she had somewhere else she needed to go".

As she was walking out Tally came up to her and nervously asked "where are you going"?

Emma said "no worries, it's night when it's supposed to happen and it's still day right now".

Tally replied "I'm so worried".

Emma told her "everything will be alright, I'm going to see Archie about it and get his input".

Regina went to meet Edmond in order to call off the deal but he claims it doesn't change anything. He throws his sword at her, but she manages to freeze it in mid air. She picks it up to defend herself, but when she faces Edmond he's already disappeared. Regina immediately told Emma and she attempted to take her parents across the town line and leave them somewhere the Count couldn't find them. When she got to the town line an invisible barrier stopped her. It was the same spell Regina had used during the first curse and knew the only place anyone could find ingredients was in her vault. She'd sealed it with blood magic so the only person she suspected of casting the spell was Zelena. Understandably, it was an accusation she didn't take well. Regina suspected the Count wasn't the sole threat from the land of untold stories.

Henry and Tally join Regina arrive at the crash site of the dirigible in the woods. He tells his mother he knows she thinks this is her fault But Regina states that's not the only problem. Back at Granny's she had told everyone not to be afraid, but after only one day, this story is not playing out the way they should. Regina suddenly stops, finding a dead body she recognized as Snow White's handmaid, she was covered with dark veins. Regina theorizes that the Count poisoned her with the poison she gave him. She moves her hand forward slightly to touch the girl, but a blast of magical energy emits off of her. When Regina questions what happened, the Evil Queens shows up and states her story caught up with her. Regina was shocked to see her evil half. Henry turns to the evil half of his mother, and she tells him hello.

Furious, Regina stands up, pointing out that she killed her, but the queen asks if she thought it'd be that easy. As Regina stands in front of Henry, the Evil Queen angrily tells Regina that after everything she's done for her and after everything they've accomplished together, she threw her away like she never existed. Regina responds that she threw her away because she existed. She attempts to create a fireball in her hand, but her magic seems to fail, so the Evil Queen reveals that she laced Charlotte's cloak with a magic dampening spell.

Regina suddenly realizes that her evil half has been controlling the Count this whole time, and with that, the evil queen confesses that she has. She makes the Count's heart appear in her hand, saying she doesn't leave things to chance. The Evil Queen says she ordered the Count to kill Snow and Charming all those years ago, so now, that's exactly what he's going to do. She comments that Regina should be thanking her, and then leaves.

Snow and David run into Edmond at the docks. As he draws his weapon David tries to reason with him but the Count can't stop. They managed to keep dodging his attacks and Snow tells him the Queen changed and she is now their friend and no longer wishes them harm. Edmond denies this as the Evil Queen has his heart. He cuts a rope with his sword, sending barrels crashing on Snow and David, knocking them unconscious. Edmond was about to finish the job but another sword clashes with his. He looks up to find it's Regina and they engage in a battle. When he finally disarmed her he turns his attention back to the helpless Snow and David. Regina picks up her sword, but he's already too far away, so he yells for him to stop. He tells her the only way to save himself is to kill them, before turning back to the couple on the ground. With little time to stop him Regina took the only option she could think of. Regina threw her sword straight into the Count's back, impaling him. He drops to the ground, dead. Devastated, Regina rushes to his body, and so does Henry, but to make sure his mother is okay. She cries and apologizes to Edmond, but Henry tells her she did what she had to. Snow and David regained consciousness, and were upset to find Edmond dead. Regina cries that she had no choice, but the Evil Queen appears and tells her that's not true. Regina tells her counterpart she couldn't stand by and watch the Count kill her friends, but the Evil Queen reveals she thought heroes always found the third way.

Regina confronts her, making the Evil Queen happy. Regina says the Queen didn't want the Count to kill Snow and David, she wanted Regina to kill the Count. The Queen tells her that it was the only way to show her that, no matter what she does, the darkness will always be inside of her.

Snow approaches Regina and the Evil Queen, telling her not to listen to the villain. The Evil Queen snarls at the sight of her stepdaughter, causing David to be concerned for his wife. Snow tells the Queen that she won't divide this family, but she responds that she won't have to because the people from the Land of Untold Stories aren't the only ones with tales they don't want told.

Later, Regina is sitting at a table in Granny's Diner with Snow and Emma. Snow assures her that what happened with the Count of Monte Cristo isn't her fault. Regina scoffs at this, but Emma points out that the Evil Queen trapped her without any other choice. Regina states that she had a choice; she could've kept the Evil Queen inside herself so that she would have been the only one who had to deal with her. Emma tells Regina that she's doing what the Queen wants by doubting herself. Regina states that the Evil Queen is doing a hell of a job. Snow interrupts, telling Regina that this may all be new to her, but she's faced the Evil Queen before, and she never once did it by running away. She explains that they have to face the Queen head-on and get ahead of her plan, so Regina asks how they do that. Snow claims she doesn't know, then asks Regina to think like the Evil Queen. Regina should be able to predict her actions. Snow wants to know what the Queen meant when she said that they all have stories they don't want told.

Emma's visions are suddenly triggered at the question. She begins seeing the flashes of her death at the hands of the hooded figure. Her hand begins shaking as a result, so she grabs it with her other to control it. Noticing this, Regina asks Emma if she's okay, and Emma says she's fine before taking a drink of her coffee.

Meanwhile, Hook, Charming and Neal approach a frustrated Henry, who comments that this wasn't how the Count's story should have ended. He tells them that he should've known that Operation Cobra: Part Two wouldn't have been as simple as he thought. David wants to know why. Henry says that sequels are always more involved than the originals. Hook shows confusion, so Henry begins listing sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back? Godfather: Part Two? Temple of Doom?" Hook remains confused, so the boy explains that they're the best sequels ever and that they need to have a movie night. To explain things more clearly, Henry tells them when Emma broke the first curse it was simple, the people involved had been taken out of stories that they actually wanted to play out. Then David realizes and points out these people ran away from their stories for a reason. Henry adds that before they can help them, they need to find out why they ran.