Cruel Princess (No 20)

by DeadGirlEtarnal

Zelena isn't the only sister to the Evil Queen Regina, she has a younger sister, Octavia, and she's nothing like her older sister, though known for her fake alias, the Cruel Princess. Once in Storybrooke, things change maybe for the better for the two sisters, though the trouble seems to worsen once the Saviour steps into their town. Only Ocs.

15. Chapter Fourteen - Forbidden Plotting

Chapter fourteen - Manhattan

Season 2 Episode 14

There was an Enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.

Or think we know.

One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.

Our world.

This is how it happened….

In New York, Henry, Emma, and Mr Gold arrive at their destination after getting out of a taxi. They look up at the apartment building before them. "What's wrong? This the right place?" Emma asks, looking at Gold.

"Yes, it is," Mr Gold replies.

"Let me guess. He's not expecting you," she muses. "Well, who doesn't love a surprise?"

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile, the mother and daughter talk at Regina's house while Cora attempts to comfort her sad daughter. "What is it, sweetie?" Cora asks her.

"It's Henry. Emma left town with Gold, and she took him with her," Regina replies, thinking of her son.

"And you didn't stop them?" She wonders, frowning.

"I didn't know until after they had gone," the dark-haired woman snaps.

"I'm sure he's safe. And, as soon as Gold's done, Henry will be back," the Queen of Heart assures her.

"But not with me," Regina sighs.

"Back? From where? Where's Rumpelstiltskin gone?" Killian demands, stepping into the room.

"I don't know," she replies.

"Well, if he's left town, then he's powerless. He can be killed," he argues.

"The moment either of us leave, we lose our magic… And our advantage," Cora warns him.

"Your memories?" Hook questions.

"None of us were victims of the curse. It's not about memories – it's about magic," Regina argues, looking at him.

"Well, I don't need magic. I'll go after him alone," Killian snaps, wanting revenge for his beloved Milah.

"Even if you could find him, do you really think you can just walk up to him and stab him in the heart with your sword?" She retorts angrily.

"Well, I prefer my hook, but I can't find that now," he argues, annoyed.

"You're not going anywhere," Cora orders, looking at the pirate.

"I deserve my vengeance!" Hook shouts, looking at Regina and Cora.

"You're right. You're right, you do. And, with The Dark One gone, we can search for the one magical item that can actually kill him here… His dagger," she informs him, having had the idea for a while now, but the pieces have now all fallen into place.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Elsewhere, in New York, the mother and son enter the apartment building lobby with Mr Gold. Henry scans the list of names on the intercom. "No 'Baelfire'," Henry announces, looking at the adults.

"Yeah, that probably wouldn't fly as an alias," Emma argues. "Your magic globe didn't give you an apartment number?"

"It doesn't work that way," Mr Gold replies, and they take turns looking at the list.

"Do any of these names mean anything to you?" She asks.

"Well, names are what I traffic in, but sadly, no," he tells her, and Emma notices something before pointing at an apartment listed by number only.

"Here's your boy," the blond woman announces.

"Or, it could just be vacant," the Dark One argues.

"You might traffic in names and magic, but I traffic in finding people who don't want to be found. And those sort of folks don't like to advertise their whereabouts," Emma reasons and buzzes the apartment on the intercom. "U.P.S. package for four-oh-seven." The person on the other end of the line doesn't respond and then hangs up.

"Maybe you should've said FedEx," Henry muses, and suddenly, they hear a noise coming from the fire escape outside.

"He's running," She states, and they rush outside, where they find the apartment's occupant climbing down the fire escape. He reaches the bottom and breaks into a run.

"That… That favour you owe me – this is it. Get him to talk to me. I… I can't run," Mr Gold says urgently.

"Watch Henry. I'll be back," the blond woman shouts, running after the man.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Emma chases after the unknown man, possibly Baelfire, through the streets of New York, stalling traffic along the way. She runs after him, and he darts through an alleyway. She looks around and notices a shortcut. She races around the other side of the building and manages to ambush the man. Emma spots the man ahead and tackles him, making them fall and skid across the ground hard. When she gets up a little, a stunned look overcomes her, recognising the man. "No…" Emma gasps. "...Neal?"

"Emma?" Neal asks, looking back at her in as much shock.

"Neal?" She repeats, and they stand up, looking at each other.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?" He asks her.

"What am I doing here?" The blond woman snaps.

"Yeah," Baelfire replies.

"I'm not answering anything until you tell me the truth. Are you Gold's son?" Emma asks him.

"What are you talking about? Who's Gold?" Neal questions, confused.

"You played me. You're from there," she snaps angrily. "You played me, and he played me, you both played me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay," Baelfire mutters.

"You and Gold," the Saviour groans.

"Emma, slow down. What are you talking about? Who's Gold?" Neal asks her.

"Your father. Rumpelstiltskin," Emma snaps.

"He's here?" He gasps, thinking of a way to run.

"Why else would I be in New York?" She argues, wanting to run back to Storybrooke and take Henry as far away from New York as possible.

"You brought him to me? Why would you do that?!" Baelfire screams.

"Hey! I am the only one allowed to be angry here!" The blond woman shouts. "Did you know who I was, where I was from, the whole time? Was this just some sort of sick, twisted plan? Did… Did you even care about me at all?"

"Emma, do not…" Neal argues.

"I want to know! I want the truth – all of it!" Emma snaps, angry at the man she once loved.

"Fine! We… We got to get off the street. We can't do it here. We're out in the open," he suggests, looking around. "I… I spent a lifetime running from that man. I'm not going to let him catch me. There's a bar down the street. We can talk there."

"I am not drinking with you. Whatever you're going to tell me, tell me now," she orders, annoyed and angry.

"No, bar's better. Don't worry. You can keep yelling at me when we get there," Baelfire assures her, beginning to walk off; though annoyed, Emma follows him.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile, Henry and Mr Gold are waiting outside Neal's apartment building at a hotdog stand. "Don't worry. Emma's really good at catching people," Henry assures him.

"Well, my son's been running away for a long time now. Now I have a feeling he's equally adept at it," Mr Gold remarks.

"Well, at least we found him, right?" He argues, smiling.

"Indeed," the Dark One replies.

"Oh, and, uh, thanks, for the hot dog. I forgot," the Mills boy says.

"You are quite welcome. And thank you," Mr Gold retorts, smiling at the boy.

"For what?" Henry asks.

"Well, if it wasn't for you bringing Emma to Storybrooke, none of this would have come to pass. You… Are a remarkable young man," he comments.

"You know… I forgave her. Emma – for giving me up. She thought it was the best for me then. That's why she did it. I'm sure your son will get it, too," the Mills boy assures the man.

"Alas, the circumstances surrounding our separation weren't quite so noble," the Dark One argues.

"But…you're here now. And, you want him back, right?" Henry asks, wanting to help him.

"More than anything," Mr Gold replies.

"Then, that's all that matters," he tells Rumpelstiltskin.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

As he suggests, Neal and Emma sit in a bar at the counter. "Well, what do you want to know, Emma? You want the truth? Ask away," Neal says, looking at his ex-girlfriend, who he abandoned.

"Did you know who I was when we met?" Emma asks him the big question, which she needs to get out of the way.

"If I had, I wouldn't have gone near you," he argues, making her scoff.

"Come on," she grumbles, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Come on? Come on, what?" Baelfire snaps. "I was in hiding. I came here to get… A-away from… All that crap."

"So, if you didn't know, then you were just using me. You just needed someone to take the fall for all the watches that you stole," the blond woman wonders, hurt by his betrayal.

"I wasn't using you. When we met, I didn't know. I found out," Neal tells her.

"How?" Emma wonders, frowning.

"When I went to sell the watches… I ran into a friend of yours. August," he replies, thinking of that night.

"You left me… And let me go to prison, because Pinocchio told you to?" She snaps.

"Emma…" Baelfire mutters, shaking his head.

"I loved you," the Saviour says, making him look at her. Emma wishes she could go back in time so bad right now.

"I… I was, um… I was… I was trying to help you," Neal argues.

"By letting me go to jail?" Emma snaps.

"By getting you home," he replies.

"Are you telling me that us meeting was a coincidence?" She questions. "Because how the hell did that happen? If it wasn't in your plan, or your father's?"

"Think about it. He wanted you to break the curse. Us meeting – that could have stopped it. Maybe it was fate," Baelfire argues.

"You believe in that?" The blond woman asks.

"You know, there's not a ton about my father that I remember that doesn't suck. But he used to tell me that there are no coincidences," Neal reasons. "Everything that happens, happens by design, and there's nothing we can do about it. Forces greater than us conspire to make it happen. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it. The point is… Maybe we met for a reason. Maybe something good came from us being together."

"No. Not that I can think of. I just went to jail. That's it. Doesn't matter now. I'm over it. And you," Emma snaps, thinking of Henry, her son.

"Why do you wear the, uh, key chain I got you?" He wonders, gesturing to the necklace, and she takes it off, placing it on the counter before Neal, having wanted to give it back to him for a long time.

"To give back to you if I ever saw you again," she snaps. "Come on. I made a deal with your father I'd bring you to him."

"You made a deal with him?" Baelfire questions, shocked.

"Yeah. And I'm upholding my end," the Saviour replies.

"No, Emma, you don't have to. You know that," Neal argues, not wanting to see his father again.

"I know," Emma says, but she doesn't care.

"Okay, so this should be really easy for you. Tell him that you lost me. Tell him you can't find me. You do that, you'll never have to see me again," he pleads with her, and Emma agrees, selfishly, because of the lie she told Henry all those months ago.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Mary Margaret talks to Emma on the phone at the Charmings' apartment after her encounter with Neal. "Wait. Gold's son is Henry's father?" Mary Margaret repeats after listening to her daughter.

"I know. I know. And the millions of questions you have, I have, too. The problem is, it doesn't matter right now because I don't know what to do," Emma replies, sighing.

"Please tell me you're not calling to ask me to tell you to keep it from him," she asks.

"Henry thinks his father is dead. I told him that for a reason. I want to protect him," the blond woman argues.

"No matter what this man did, Henry has a right to know who his father is. The truth about your parents… Emma, you of all people should know how important that is," Snow tells her.

"I don't want Henry to get hurt. I just want to protect him," Emma reasons, though sometimes she wishes she'd never said it and told Henry the truth.

"Are you sure this is about protecting Henry, and not yourself?" Mary Margaret wonders, and Emma groans, knowing she has to do something, which may be to tell Henry the truth.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Henry and Mr Gold await Emma in New York in Neal's apartment building lobby. "Why are you so nervous? When I found my mum, I was excited," Henry remarks, looking at Mr Gold.

"Because I have the benefit of a little more…life experience. I know that things don't always happen the way we want them to," Mr Gold argues nervously.

"Sure, but in my book, it says that you can see the future. Why can't you just look and see what's going to happen?" He wonders.

"Well, that ability is complicated. I didn't always have it. And then when I did… Well… It's maybe not the gift one would expect. Seeing the inevitable can be a terrible price," the Dark One reasons, thinking about his son.

"But you wouldn't have to worry about stuff. You'd just know," the Mills boy argues, shrugging.

"But that's the great trap. The future is like a puzzle… With missing pieces. Difficult to read. And never, never what you think," Mr Gold tells him when Emma enters the lobby.

"Hey," Emma says, looking at them, a little shaken from her encounter with Neal.

"Did you find him?" He asks, looking at her.

"Sorry. Your son… Got away," she tells Mr Gold.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile, Belle is lying in her bed in her hospital room when Regina enters, scaring the confused woman. "Who are you?" Belle asks, looking at the Mayor.

"So it is true. You really don't remember anything," Regina states, looking at the former lover of the Dark One.

"Are we friends?" She wonders, still trying to regain her memories.

"We spent some time together. But I'm here because I believe you can help me find something that belongs to Rumpelstiltskin," the dark-haired woman explains, though the other woman won't understand.

"W-Who?" The bookworm asks.

"Mr Gold," Regina corrects herself.

"I, uh… I-I don't know him," Belle replies, and Regina magically knocks Belle unconscious.

"Not anymore. But you did," she mutters and magically opens Belle's purse, causing its contents to float through the air. All the objects seem reasonable till a piece of paper passes her face, which Regina levitates towards her, piquing her interest. She takes said paper and examines it, finding numbers written on it. 915.63. Those numbers seem interesting, and she takes it.

"What are you doing here, Regina?" Octavia asks, making Regina spin around in a flurry to find her little sister standing behind her.

"I-I was trying checking on Belle," the Evil Queen lies, hating lying to her sister again, but if she wants Henry, she knows that she has to do what her mother says.

"Right… because I didn't just see you using magic to look for something in Belle's purse?" She questions, making Regina cringe. "Mother making you do her dirty work again?"

"Tava…" Regina mutters.

"Stop!" The Healer snaps. "I don't want to hear more lies, Regina." She sighs. "Our mother will never care about anything more than power. She made that very clear a long time ago. Now, please leave my hospital." Octavia turns and walks away.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

After talking to Octavia, Regina leads her mother and Hook to the town library. Regina scans the shelves of books for the number on the paper she found with Belle. "Shouldn't we be pillaging his shop or ransacking his home?" Killian questions, looking around.

"That would be the obvious choice, yes," Cora agrees, but she knows the Dark One quite well. "But Gold wouldn't risk crossing the town line and losing his memory without entrusting the dagger's location to someone."

"Belle," he mutters, nodding.

"My guess is she hid it in one of her beloved books," Regina announces.

"Impressive, Regina," Cora muses, smiling and making Regina look at her.

"Thank you, mother," she replies, smiling, glad to hear those words.

"I'll be impressed when I'm holding the dagger in my hand," Killian argues. Regina finds the correct spot, but there isn't a book, just an empty space.

"No. It should be here," the Evil Queen groans.

"Well, it's not, is it? May we go now?" He snaps, feeling so close to his vengeance against the Dark One.

"Hold on," Cora announces, sticking her hand in the space between the books and finding a folded piece of paper. "What's this?" She unfolds the paper and shows it to Killian and Regina.

"Oh, yes. Crude. To the untrained eye, a child's scribbles, but to a pirate… It's a map," Hook informs them, taking the supposed map. "Gold may not have hidden the dagger here, but I believe he's left us the next best thing – its location."

"Can you read it?" She asks, growing hopeful as they move to the table.

"Well, lucky for you ladies, I'm quite adept at finding buried treasure," Killian assures them.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Mary Margaret and David talk in the Charmings' kitchen after she tells her husband what their daughter told her. "So Rumpelstiltskin is Henry's grandfather?" David questions, still a little confused.

"Apparently," Mary Margaret replies.

"But I'm his grandfather," he argues, almost feeling replaced and weird about the Dark One being related to his sweet grandson.

"You can have more than one," she tells him, sighing.

"So his…step-grandmother is Regina, the Evil Queen," Charming realises.

"Actually, his step-great-grandmother. And she's also his adoptive mother," Snow argues, cringing. "Oh, and Octavia is Henry's step-great-aunt, and his adoptive aunt."

"It's a good thing we don't have Thanksgiving in our land, cause that dinner would suck," David remarks, deep in thought.

"Or, maybe this will mellow everyone out," Mary Margaret suggests, hoping to get along now after everything.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Still in the apartment lobby, Mr Gold frantically hits the intercom buttons, trying to get inside. "Gold, wait. What are you doing?" Emma asks, watching the older man, when someone responds to the buzzer and unlocks the front door.

"I'm finding my son," Mr Gold replies, aggravated, and they head upstairs, trying to find Neal's apartment.

"He's gone," Emma argues as they walk the hallway.

"But he lives here. He'll be back, and I'll be waiting," he snaps. They find Neal's apartment, and Mr Gold grabs his pick-locking kit and works on the door.

"Stop. You can't just break in," the blond woman growls.

"Yeah, well, actually, that's something I'm quite adept at," the Dark One argues.

"He might not come back," Emma reasons, looking at Rumpelstiltskin.

"Okay. Finding people is what you do, Miss Swan. I'm simply going to assist you," Mr Gold says. "There may be information in here. Who he is, what he does, who he loves."

"No, don't do this. There are things called laws," Emma warns him, trying to get them away before Neal returns and everything blows up in her face.

"I'll be lookout," Henry suggests, excited.

"No, I… You could get arrested," Emma argues.

"Then my son will have to testify against me, and we will be reunited," Mr Gold argues, successfully picking the lock and opening the door.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

After jimmying the lock, Mr Gold opens the door to Neal's apartment, letting himself inside first. "Gold. Come on, please. We really shouldn't be here," Emma argues, looking around nervously as if someone might see them, also because there's a chance that Neal could come back.

"I don't think he's listening," Henry argues, looking at his mum and uncle before joining Mr Gold to investigate the apartment. Emma looks inside before noticing the dreamcatcher from her and Neal's old hotel room hanging in the apartment window. She takes it down and stares at it in her hands, which Mr Gold notices.

"You find something, dearie?" Mr Gold asks, looking at her.

"Nothing. Uh, it just looks like a dreamcatcher," Emma replies nervously, which he notices.

"Yeah, well, if it's nothing, why are you still holding it?" He questions, glaring at her. "You're lying to me."

"Just get back to looking, okay?" She suggests, looking at them and keeping an eye on Henry.

"No, no, no. You saw something. Tell me," the Dark One snaps.

"You don't know what you're talk-," the blond woman argues.

"Tell me!" Mr Gold shouts.

"Henry, go wait in the bathroom," Emma tells him, pointing him towards the back of the apartment.

"But I can help-," Henry argues.

"Henry, go!" She snaps, making Henry look at her before heading away, leaving the two adults alone. "There's nothing here. The guy's a ghost."

"Well, you think me a fool?" Mr Gold growls. "You're holding back. I want to know what, and why."

"I'm not holding back," she assures him.

"Did he tell you something?" He asks angrily.

"Gold-," the blond woman says.

"Did he tell you something?!" The Dark One demands.

"Nothing. He didn't say anything," Emma tells him.

"But you talked to-?" Mr Gold snaps.

"Don't put words in my mouth-!" She argues.

"Tell me! You tell me, or I'm going to make you tell me," he growls.

"You don't have magic here," the Saviour reminds him, standing her ground.

"Oh, I don't need magic," the Dark One argues.

"You really want to do this?" Emma argues, glaring at Rumpelstiltskin.

"Do not push me," Mr Gold sneers.

"Don't push me," she retorts.

"We had a deal! A deal! No one! No one breaks deals with me!" He shouts, and Neal barges into the apartment and interrupts the fight, worrying about Emma.

"Hey! Leave her alone," Neal snaps, making the adults look at him in shock.

"Bae… You came back for me," the Dark One smiles, looking at his grown-up son, and Emma looks at her ex-lover in shock.

"No. I came to make sure you didn't hurt her. I've seen what you do to people who break deals," he argues, pointing at his father.

"Please, Bae, just let me talk," Mr Gold begs, moving towards him.

"I have no interest in talking to you. You can go," Baelfire snaps, averting his gaze.

"I'm not going anywhere," he argues, standing his ground.

"Get out of my apartment!" Neal shouts, making Emma jump.

"Neal…" Emma mutters, looking at him.

"Emma, I got this," he assures her.

"You two know each other… You two know each other. How?" Mr Gold asks, looking between them.

"You sent her chasing after him," Emma argues, sticking up for herself.

"No, no, no. Stop it! You're lying. How do you two know each other?!" He demands angrily. Henry comes out of the bathroom and enters the living room after hearing the raised voices.

"Mum? W-What's going on?" Henry asks, looking at Emma.

"Hey…" Emma mutters, looking at him cautiously, and Neal looks between them.

"Who's this?" Neal questions, looking at Emma.

"My son," she replies.

"What?" He blurts, shocked.

"Is that Baelfire?" Henry wonders, looking at the man.

"I need you to stay in the other room for a little while longer, okay? Come on," Emma tells her son, trying to lead Henry out of the room.

"Wait. H-How old are you?" Neal asks, looking at the boy.

"Don't answer him," She orders her son, who looks at her strangely.

"How old are you, kid?!" He asks again.

"Eleven!" Henry answers, making Neal look at him in shock. "Now, why is everyone yelling?"

"He's eleven?" Baelfire questions, looking at Emma.

"Mum?" He asks, looking at Emma.

"Is this my son?" Neal asks, trying to wrap his head around the new information.

"No. My dad was a fireman. He… He died. That's what you told me. You said…" The Mills boy argues, looking at Emma, who glances at Henry.

"Is this… My son?" He asks again.

"Yes…" Emma answers, causing Neal to stagger in shock, and Henry backs away from Emma before running through the window leading to the fire escape. There's a brief pause in the room with the four adults, and then Emma follows Henry. "Henry. Henry?" She crawls through the window, leaving Neal and Mr Gold alone. Neal goes to follow Henry and Emma, but Mr Gold stops him.

"Baelfire…" Mr Gold says, placing his hand on his son's shoulder, but he shakes it off, not wanting to deal with his father after learning he has a son after all this time. "Please, please. All I want is a chance to be heard."

"Get out," Neal snaps.

"Look, you came back to protect Emma. To show that she had lived up to her end of her bargain with me," he reasons, looking at his son hopefully.

"And now she has. You can go," Baelfire argues.

"No. Our deal was for her to get you to talk to me," the Dark One retorts. "If you truly want her deal to be fulfilled, you have but one choice. You have to talk to me."

"You got three minutes," Neal replies, looking back at the window.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

At the hospital, Greg is talking to someone on his phone, no longer bedridden and dressed in his normal clothes, though he still has a scrape and bruising on his forehead from the crash. " Hey. N-no, I… I'm… I-I'm okay," Greg assures the person on the phone call. "Yeah. No, they… They… They said I'm… I'm good to go. But, um… You know, I think I'm going to stay here for little while. Why? Well, take a look at this and see." Greg sends a video of Regina using magic in Belle's room to the person listed as 'Her'.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Regina, Killian, and Cora are still at the library, and he finishes interpreting the map for the two Queens. "I give you the location of the dagger," he announces.

"Well done, Hook. We'll take it from here," Cora replies, snatching the map off the table before leaving with her daughter.

"No. You promised me!" Killian snaps, trying to confront the Mills women, but Cora magically blasts Hook into a bookshelf, knocking him unconscious.

"The Dark One's dagger is much too powerful to be wasted on you," she argues calmly.

"So… Is… This what it was all about? Getting Rumple's dagger so you could obtain his dark powers?" Regina asks, looking at her mother, who is no longer under her spell and wishing she listened to her sister.

"If we possess the dagger, we control the Dark One," the Queen of Hearts assures her. "And when he returns to Storybrooke, we can command him to kill Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma. Our enemies will be vanquished, and you will be blameless in the eyes of the only person who matters."

"Henry," Regina mutters, but she knows that Octavia will be someone they'll have to get out of the way if they want the Dark One's dagger.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Emma sits with Henry at the top of the fire escape outside Neal's apartment and joins him, needing to talk. "So, that's him," Henry mutters.

"Yeah," Emma replies sadly, wishing she hadn't lied to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He wonders.

"Because I never thought I would see him again. I never wanted to," she explains.

"Why not?" The Mills boy asks.

"He was a thief, Henry. A liar, a bad guy, and he… He broke my heart," the blond woman tells him.

"I could have taken it, you know. The truth," Henry argues.

"I know. He was just a part of my life I wanted to forget. That's why I didn't tell you. I was thinking of me, not you," Emma apologises.

"I thought you were different, but you're just like her. Regina. She always lied to me, too," he snaps angrily at all the lies.

"I'm sorry…" She says, wishing she could take the lie back.

"I want to meet my dad," the Mills boy announces, and Emma looks at him before nodding and stepping down the fire escape.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Neal and Mr Gold are having their three minutes, the Dark One talking to his son, finding it difficult under pressure. "Clock's ticking," Neal warns him, glancing at his watch.

"I know I've made mistakes, but you must believe me. I want to make up for it. There's no greater pain than regret," Mr Gold says, trying to get his son to accept his apology.

"Try abandonment," he argues.

"Please. Let me make it up to you," the Dark One suggests.

"How are you going to do that? I grew up alone. I grew up without a father. You can make up for that?" Baelfire wonders, still full of anger.

"Yeah. Yes, I can," Mr Gold replies, smiling.

"Two minutes," Neal reminds him, wanting to get to know his son.

"Come with me to Storybrooke. There's magic there. I can turn the clock back. Make you fourteen again. We can start over," he tells him, wanting to have more time with his son after all these years.

"Fourteen? I don't want to be fourteen, again. Are you… Are you insane?" Baelfire exclaims in disbelief.

"I can't make up for the lost time, but I can take away the memories. Bae…" Rumpelstiltskin pleads, wanting to start over.

"Take away who I am? No, thanks. One minute," Neal says, glaring at the Dark One.

"Bae… Please… Give me a chance. You once loved me," Mr Gold argues.

"You were once a good man," he replies, looking at his father.

"And I can be that man again. I've changed. Look. I came here, to this city, without magic," the Dark One assures him, wanting to start over with Baelfire.

"Yeah, yeah, and you're still trying to use it to make up for your mistakes," Baelfire snaps. "Still think that that can make it all better. It won't. You can't." He paces around the living room. "You have no idea what I've lived with. You're so worried about you. You know what I've dealt with? Every night, for more years than you could know, the last thing I see before sleep is the image of you… You and me, over that pit. Your hand… Wrapped around mine. And then, you open your grip. And as I fall away, all I can see is your face. Choosing all…this…crap over me. Letting me go. Now, it's my turn. Now I'm letting you go."

"I'm sorry-," Mr Gold tries apologising, but Neal cuts him off.

"I don't care. I didn't get closure, so you don't, either. Got to go," Neal fumes, not wanting to forgive and forget about all those years alone.

"Oh, Bae…" He mutters, heartfelt.

"No. Time's up," Baelfire announces before heading towards the window. Emma crawls back into the apartment while Henry waits outside on the fire escape.

"He wants to meet you," Emma tells him.

"You weren't going to tell me about him," Neal wonders, looking at his ex-girlfriend.

"No, I wasn't," she replies, and Neal glares at her, feeling betrayed, though he knows he can't talk after abandoning and betraying her, sending her to jail.

"Yeah, well, he's my kid, too, so you don't get to make that decision by yourself anymore." He argues.

"Great. Go talk to him, then," The blond woman tells him. "But… Don't break his heart," she warns him, not wanting Henry to get hurt.

"Trust me – I'm not going do to him what he did to me," Neal assures her.

"Or what you did to me," she adds, making him look at her.

"Okay. I get it. We're all messed up. What do you say we try to avoid that with him? Alright?" He argues.

"Alright," the Saviour mutters, and Neal crawls onto the fire escape to join Henry.

"So… You're my dad," Henry questions, looking at him.

"Yeah," Neal replies, looking at his son.

"I'm Henry," he says, smiling softly, though he thinks about what his uncle said earlier.

"It's nice to meet you, Henry. Sorry I took so long," Baelfire remarks, smiling.

"It's okay. You didn't know," the Mills boy assures him. While Henry and Neal talk outside, Mr Gold walks past the window, stopping and watching them. He turns around with a haunted look as he remembers what the Seer said to him all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Chapter Fourteen - The Queen is Dead

Season 2 Episode 15

There was an Enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.

Or think we know.

One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.

Our world.

This is how it happened….

A young Snow White enters the main chamber within the castle, where Queen Eva consults with several women for her daughter's birthday celebration. Snow White is dressed in a pink, sparkly ball down. "Let's be certain she's seated as far away from the Duke as possible, for the Duchess' sake." Eva informs them.

"Yes, ma'am," they reply before leaving.

"Do you like it?" Snow asks, making her mother turn around.

"Oh, my dear Snow. You are an absolute vision," Eva compliments her daughter, smiling brightly. "You are going to be the talk of the ball, and not just because it's for your birthday." They hug briefly. "Come. I can hardly believe you're growing up so fast. Which reminds me… I have a gift for you. It was my mother's once, and her mother's before that. And soon, it will be yours."

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

In another room, Johanna picks up a diamond tiara from the padded ceremonial box and places it on her head, admiring herself in the mirror. However, Queen Eva and Snow White enter, catching the maid in the act, who quickly removes the tiara. "Johanna," Queen Ava scolds her.

"Oh! Oh, Your Majesty. Oh, please forgive me. I just wanted to see-," Johanna apologises profusely.

"How dare you? That's mine. It's not for a servant," Snow White snaps, glaring at her and shocking her mother.

"It was my mistake," she argues lightly to the young Princess.

"Servants don't wear crowns," the Princess sneers, stepping towards her angrily.

"Enough," Eva scolds her daughter.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty-," Johanna apologises, looking at the Queen.

"No, I was talking to Snow," she corrects her faithful servant.

"Me?" Snow questions, looking at her mother.

"I thought I raised you better than that, Snow," the Queen scolds. "It doesn't matter whether one is a servant or royalty. Everyone in the kingdom deserves our love and respect."

"But she took my tiara-," she argues, looking angry and confused.

"She apologised. And it isn't yours yet," Eva reminds her.

"Your Majesty, it's alright," Johanna assures her.

"You're kind, Johanna, but Snow must learn. My dear, we are all the same," she replies, looking at her daughter.

"But I thought we were royals," Snow argues, smiling smugly.

"We are, but that doesn't make us better than anyone else. The upcoming ball, for instance – can you tell me what it's for?" The Queen questions.

"It's to honour me on my birthday," she replies.

"No. It's for you to honour them, by showing them you will be a kind and benevolent leader when that time comes. Please," Eva tells her and looks at Johanna, who hands the tiara to the Queen. "When you are crowned with this on your birthday, it will be a symbol that you will always hold goodness in your heart and rule justly. Now do you understand?"

"I do, Mother," the young Princess assures her, and Queen Eva hands the tiara to Snow, who then walks over to the mirror but doesn't put it on, admiring it. "It's beautiful."

"And it's heavier than it looks," she warns her when suddenly, the Queen gasps in pain, and her knees buckle beneath her. Johanna rushes to support her.

"Your Majesty!" Johanna cries, keeping her balanced.

"Mother!" Snow shouts, growing scared.

"I'm fine," Eva assures them.

"No, no. You're not," she argues, and Johanna takes the Queen to a chair and eases her gently.

"Come. There," Johanna mutters, helping into the chair. "I'm getting the doctor." She quickly exits the room, leaving the two royals.

"Mother…" The Princess mutters, looking worried about her mother.

"I'm fine, dear," Eva promises her, but she isn't sure that's true.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Mary Margaret looks in the mirror and reminisces at the Charmings's apartment while David cooks breakfast behind her. "What are you doing?" Mary Margaret asks, making her husband look at him.

"I'm making breakfast," David states, looking at her.

"Why?" She questions, knowing why she's doing it already.

"I'm hungry," he replies.

"You think I don't know what you're doing? We talked about this. We had a deal," Snow argues, not wishing to celebrate.

"I know. I know. But, with the curse broken, I thought maybe you would change your mind." Charming retorts, wanting to push past it.

"Well, I didn't. What's this?" Mary Margaret asks, spotting a wrapped gift with a card on the table and gesturing to it.

"Birthday present," David replies, shrugging.

"No, I told you…" She grumbles.

"It's not from me!" He argues, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"No one else knows," Snow reasons.

"Apparently, someone does, and they also think you should celebrate. It was left outside the door this morning," Charming informs her, and she initially ignores the card, opening the gift to find a familiar diamond tiara inside. "What is it?" Mary Margaret lifts the tiara out of the box, beginning to tear up. "I thought that was lost when the curse hit."

"So did I," Mary Margaret replies, spotting the car, opening the envelope, and handing the tiara to David. Inside is a card that says, 'Thinking of you today. -Johana'. "Johanna."

"I didn't know she was in Storybrooke," David muses, looking at his wife.

"Neither did I," she mutters, happy to have something of her past when her mother was alive and still around.

"After the curse, you were gone for a while. We're all still finding each other. It hasn't been easy," he reasons, smiling softly at his wife.

"I have to go," Snow states, taking the tiara back from David and going to grab her coat.

"Okay. Hey… Happy Birthday," Charming says, quickly kissing.

"Thank you for understanding," Mary Margaret replies, looking at him thoughtfully. "You should go. It's getting late. You have to go to work."

"I know. I just… I just wish this day made you happier," David remarks.

"I know. But we both know it can't," she argues lightly before leaving the apartment.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

David arrives for work at the Sheriff's station. He briefly hears a noise distracting him as he hangs up his coat. While his attention is elsewhere, Killian ambushes David, hitting him in the head with a crowbar, knocking him unconscious. Hook takes Charming's keys, looking down at him. "Apologies, mate, but I think you have something of mine," Killian mutters and walks into the office, unlocking the desk drawer and discovering his hook inside and under some files. He unscrews the fake hand he was using as a substitute and replaces it with his hook, looking at it with content before swiftly leaving.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Johanna is planting a small flower garden in her backyard when Mary Margaret approaches her old friend. "Johanna?" She calls, smiling, and Johanna looks up, seeing the grown-up Snow.

"Snow…" Johanna mutters, happy to see her.

"It's 'Mary Margaret', here," Mary Margaret corrects her.

"No. You will always be my dear Snow," she argues slightly, and they embrace happily.

"I never thought I'd see you again. Or this," Snow replies, taking out the tiara from her bag and holding it up.

"Oh. I came across it in Mr Gold's shop, and I knew how much it meant to you. I knew you had to have it," the maid explains, smiling softly at the grown Princess.

"Thank you. I haven't seen those flowers in a long time," Mary Margaret compliments, admiring the small garden.

"They reminded me of you. Because they could survive the harshest winter, and you were born during the harshest one of all," Johanna explains.

"That's why she named me Snow," she muses, smiling sadly as she thinks of her mother.

"I thought keeping this garden would be a nice way to honour her," the former maid replies, keeping Snow close.

"It is," Snow assures her.

"I miss her, too. Oh, you…" Johanna says, wiping a tear off of Mary Margaret's cheek. Suddenly, a noise is heard coming from the woods behind them. "What was that?"

"Stay here. I'm sure it was nothing," Mary Margaret tells her.

"Snow…" She mutters, going to go with her, but Mary Margaret stops her.

"No, no, please. Please, just stay here. I'll be right back," Snow assures her, heading into the woods to investigate while Johanna stays behind.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

In the woods, Mary Margaret comes across Regina and Cora, the Evil Queen, digging a hole, while the Queen of Hearts stands off to the side watching her daughter doing all the work. "And you're sure this is where we're supposed to dig?" Cora asks, and Regina stops digging and consults the map.

"Yes. Hook marked it clearly. Rumpelstiltskin's dagger is here," Regina assures her mother.

"Unless, Hook lied to us," she reasons, still not trusting the pirate even after all this time.

"Well, then this map is useless," the Mayor snaps, throwing her arms up in annoyance. "Gold is the only one who can translate it."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. Hook could've saved us a lot of effort with honesty, but, the truth is, we don't need anyone. I can reconstruct the map. It'll just take a bit more time," the red-haired woman assures her. "And when we find it, I promise you, I'll use that dagger to force the Dark One to kill anyone you like."

"What about Octavia?" Regina wonders, making Cora scoff.

"What about her?" Cora questions, making Regina shake her head.

"She's your daugther. My sister!" She argues.

"We will deal with her, I assure you," the Queen of Hearts replies, and Mary Margaret grows worried for Octavia and needs to find David, rushing out of the woods to the Sheriff's station.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Mary Margaret arrives at the Sheriff's station, not seeing David anywhere. "David?" She calls, walking further inside and finds David slightly bleeding and unconscious on the floor by the office. She rushes over to him and frantically attempts to wake him up. "David! David?! David! David!" David regains consciousness and groans. "What happened?"

"Hook. He ambushed me," David replies, groaning in pain and seeing the blood on his fingers as he touches his head, and Mary Margaret helps him up.

"Are you hurt?" Mary Margaret asks, though she can see the tiny head wound.

"I'm fine. It's not me he wants," he replies, looking into the office to see the drawer open. "It's Gold…and his hook. Yeah, I'm going to enjoy throwing his ass in jail."

"Hook isn't the problem, David," she argues.

"Tell that to my head," Charming snaps.

"It's Regina. She's been lying to us. She's working with Cora to find Gold's dagger," Snow informs her.

"The dagger controls him. If Cora gets it, she can force Gold and all his power to do her bidding." David realises, feeling dread.

"Or… Become the Dark One herself," Octavia argues, making him look at her as she enters the room.

"Neither one of those options sounds good. Lucky for us, we can call the man himself. He's with Emma," he assures her and looks at Octavia.

"Tried it. Sent a message," Mary Margaret tells him, growing worried about what to do next.

"Well, we can't just wait," Charming argues.

"No, we have to buy time until they call us back or return," Snow reasons.

"How?" David asks, looking at his wife.

"Regina. She doesn't trust her mother," Mary Margaret suggests, and Octavia looks at them, confused. "Never has. If we can put some doubt in her about Cora's motives, it might slow them down."

"And you think she'll just trust you?" Octavia wonders, looking at the former Princess.

"Well, she doesn't need to trust me. She just has to listen to me. And I know how to get her to do that," she assures him, rushing out of the Sherrif's station.

"SO!" The Healer exclaims, making David jump. "I seem to have missed out on a lot." She looks at the Prince.

"Ah, yeah…" David mutters, cringing as she looks at him with the stare he's familiar with when she was the Cruel Princess.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile in New York, Neal, Henry, Emma, and Mr Gold leave Neal's apartment and walk down the streets of New York. Neal and Henry are talking while Emma and Mr Gold trail behind them, watching. "So, uh… You like pizza?" Neal asks awkwardly.

"Yeah," Henry replies, smiling. "Let me guess – you're going to tell me the best pizza's in New York, and I got to try it, right?"

"Actually, it's in the Kingdom of Damarian on the north shore of the Dragon Fields of Zorn," he teases him. "Nah, it's in New York. Here, let's get you a slice."

"So you're really from there?" The Mills boy asks, intrigued.

"Yeah, I am," Baelfire replies, and they enter a pizza shop while Emma and Landon stand outside with Mr Gold.

"Do you think that we should…?" Emma wonders, gesturing to the shop behind them.

"If we were welcome, I feel confident an invitation would have been extended," Mr Gold argues. "It's a sad truth that the people closest to us are the ones capable of causing us the most pain. That's our common ground, Miss Swan."

"Guess my lying to him just caught up with me," she muses.

"Ah, give him time. He'll forgive you," he assures her.

"Is that you projecting your own hopes?" The blond woman questions, frowning.

"My son and I have some way to go," the Dark One argues.

"I can see that," Emma comments, earning a look from Mr Gold.

"I need you to speak to him. Try and convince him to come back to Storybrooke with us," Mr Gold pleads with her.

"If I recall, there was only one favour I owed you, and I think I'm paid up," she argues.

"This isn't about me anymore. You'll do it for Henry," he reasons, and she looks at him, knowing he's right.

"How do you figure that?" The Saviour wonders.

"Well, because if you don't, you're going to wake up one morning, and discover he's hopped on a bus back to New York. He ran away to Boston to be with you. He'll do the same thing for his father," the Dark One reminds her, and she nods, knowing he's right.

"Until Neal lets him down – which he will. It'll be a hard lesson, but then at least Henry will understand that I lied to protect him," Emma argues, shrugging, though she's scared she might not be right.

"Someone's beginning to sound a lot like Regina. I think the real reason you lied was to protect yourself," Mr Gold remarks, making her cringe.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snaps, frowning.

"From getting hurt again," he tells her.

"That's not happening," the blond woman argues.

"You want a second chance with that man," Rumpelstiltskin reasons, looking at Emma, who scoffs at the thought.

"What makes you think that?" Emma asks, looking at him.

"The look on your face," Mr Gold replies, pointing at her.

"You have no idea what…" She argues but stops when Neal and Henry exit the pizza shop, joining them.

"What are we talking about?" Neal asks, looking between his father and ex-girlfriend.

"Emma, Neal wanted to show me the museum. Do you think we can go back to the apartment and get my camera?" Henry wonders, looking at his birth mother.

"Yeah, well, I… Kids like culture, right?" He questions, shrugging.

"Sure. Yeah, that's fine. You like the New York pizza?" Emma asks, looking at her son, smiling.

"Yeah. It's delicious, cheesy, and doesn't lie," Henry retorts before stepping away and leaving Emma standing there in shock.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

In Storybrooke, Regina enters Granny's Diner, where Mary Margaret is waiting for her stepmother in a booth, wanting and needing to tell her what she's learned. Regina walks and stands across her. "So, how is Henry? Is he okay?" Regina asks, showing how much she cares about her son.

"He's fine. Everything's fine," Mary Margaret assures her, smiling.

"What'd he say?" She wonders, wanting to know how her son is now that he's out of town.

"I didn't actually talk to him," Snow informs her, and Regina sighs, sitting opposite her stepdaughter.

"Then why am I here?" The Evil Queen asks, wanting her to get to the point.

"Because I know you've been lying. And I thought it was time we talk about it," Mary Margaret replies, looking at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about-," Regina argues, wanting to keep her motives fogged for now.

"No, no, no, no. No more lying," she snaps, fed up with her lying. "I know you've been with your mother. I know you're looking for the dagger."

"What I'm doing is my business," the dark-haired woman sneers angrily at her stepdaughter.

"There's a war starting, Regina," Snow warns her, wanting her to do the right thing for once.

"That much is clear, yes," Regina replies coldly.

"Lucky for you, you've earned enough good will with me to give you one last chance – a chance to choose the right side… The side of good," Mary Margaret tells her, wanting to make sure Octavia doesn't lose her sister for good.

"Have you ever considered that maybe, perhaps… I am good?" She muses, making Mary Margaret roll her eyes. "I was always the Queen. It was you who added 'Evil' to my name. And you gave my sister a monika, who is the kindest person in my life as the 'Cruel Princess' after everything she has endured that you don't even know about. Even after the help she gave you all those years ago."

"Good doesn't do what you do," Snow argues, shaking her head. "Why? Regina, why go back to being this way after how hard you tried?" She looks at her. "And I can never make up for what happened to Octavia, but we can make amends, and she's willing to, why can't you?"

"And what did it get me? Dinner with a bunch of hypocrites who pretend they'll forgive me, when in their hearts, they know… They never will. You're giving me a chance? How about I give you one? Stay out of my way," the Evil Queen snaps, getting up to leave.

"Listening to your mother is a mistake, Regina. Even Octavia thinks so," Mary Margaret warns her, wanting her to do the right thing for Henry's sake.

"Because listening to you will work out so much better," Regina muses, looking at her.

"She doesn't care about Henry. All she wants is power," she argues.

"Power is how you get things," the Mayor reasons, thinking about her past.

"She doesn't care about you or Octavia," Snow reminds her.

"Really? And what would you know about mothers?" Regina snaps before leaving Mary Margaret to wallow in memories and sadness about her late mother.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Queen Eva, now bedridden due to her sudden illness, was checked by a doctor while Snow White and Johanna watched from the side of the bed. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" Snow asked the doctor.

"Not yet, my dear. But I have hope that we shall know soon," the doctor assured him.

"Then she'll be alright?" She asks, growing scared and hopeful that her mother will recover.

"Snow…" Eva calls for her daughter.

"Mother!" The Princess cries, rushing to her mother's side.

"You should call for the King immediately," the doctor instructs Johanna.

"W-What… What message shall I give him?" Johanna asks him nervously, glancing at the Queen lying sickly in bed.

"That whatever business he's attending to can wait. He should be at his wife's side," he replies urgently.

"We'll cancel the ball, and turn it into a celebration once you're better," Snow suggests tearfully.

"We can't cancel your birthday," Eva argues, looking at her daughter. "It'll be fine. I will be well by then. I want to see you walking in that tiara."

"I don't care about my birthday. All I care about is you," she tells her mother, and the Queen begins coughing violently. "Johanna.." She calls for the main through her coughing fit.

"Snow. Let's leave your mother alone? It's alright. She needs her rest. Come," Johanna says, pulling the Princess away from her mother's bedside.

"Mother?" Snow whimpers as Johanna leads her away, and the doctor returns to the Queen's side. When she pulls back her handkerchief, it's covered in blood. "What's going to happen to her? Is she going to die?" She asks, looking at Johanna, who brings her into a tight embrace, and the young Princess cries against her shoulder.

"Shh… I don't know," Johanna mutters, losing hope.

"I don't want to lose her," the Princess sobs.

"We must hope the doctor-," she tells her.

"He doesn't even know what's wrong with her. How can we place hope in him? There has to be something that can save her," Snow argues, wanting something or someone to tell her what to do next.

"Maybe there is," the maid replies, making the Princess look at her.

"How?" She asks, looking at her.

"If medicine can't cure the Queen… Perhaps magic can," Johanna suggests.

"Magic?" The Princess questions, looking at her trusty servant.

"Yes. Your mother has a confidant – someone few know about. Someone schooled with the most powerful of magic. I'm not really supposed to even know of this," she explains.

"Please, Johanna," Snow begs, wanting to help her mother.

"There is a benevolent fairy who can grant a person's wish, if their heart is true," the maid tells her.

"Mine is. I swear. Where do I find this fairy?" She asks her hopeful.

"Tonight, go into the woods where the sky is clearest. Wish upon the blue star… And she will appear to you," Johanna explains, smiling sadly.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

In present-day New York, the group walk back to Neal's apartment. Henry and Mr Gold talk ahead of the group while Emma and Neal trail behind them. "So, should I call you grandpa, now?" Henry asks, looking at Mr Gold.

"Call me whatever you'd like," Mr Gold assures her.

"He's a good kid," Neal comments, smiling as he looks at his son and father talking.

"Yeah," Emma replies, still feeling insecure.

"Hey, I'm trying my best here," he argues.

"I know. We all are. It's just, we're going to have to go back. To our home," she reminds him.

"I'm just getting to know him," Baelfire retorts sadly.

"Then maybe… Maybe you should come with us," the blond woman suggests.

"To Storybrooke?" Neal questions, frowning.

"I've seen your apartment. You don't got a lot going on here," Emma argues, shrugging.

"Looks can be deceiving. Listen… There's something I've been meaning to tell you. It's complicated," he tells her, but Henry turns to his parents, looking at them and interrupting their conversation.

"So, Neal, do you think we can take the subway?" Henry asks.

"Yeah. Sure, of course. Let's go get that camera," Cassidy replies, and they arrive at Neal's apartment.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

They enter the lobby, and Henry goes to the gate. "Come on," Henry smirks, heading up the stairs.

"Here. I got it," Neal says, unlocking the gate, and they head for the apartment while Emma and Mr Gold stay behind in the lobby. "So after this, maybe Times Square?"

"So, uh, did you talk to him?" Mr Gold asks, looking at Emma.

"He said it's complicated," Emma replies.

"Oh, I see," Mr Gold sighs, disappointed.

"Well, maybe he just needs some time. I don't know," she argues, shrugging, and suddenly, Killian ambushes them in the lobby. Hook hits Emma, knocking her to the ground. He then lunges for Mr Gold and pins him against the wall. Hook then proceeds to stab Mr Gold in the chest with his hook.

"Tick tock. Time's up, crocodile," Killian sneers, watching the Dark One. "You took Milah, my love, my happiness. And for that, I now take your life." Emma regains her senses, grabs Mr Gold's cane, and whacks Killian over the head. Once he's knocked unconscious, she rushes over to Mr Gold, who is slumped on the floor.

"Gold, are you alright?" The blond woman asks frantically. Having heard the commotion downstairs, Neal races down the stairs and enters the lobby.

"What the hell is going on?" Neal questions, looking around.

"One of your dad's enemies found us," Emma replies, trying to help Rumpelstiltskin.

"Hook," he mutters, spotting the familiar pirate lying on the floor.

"You know him?" She asks, looking at him, and Neal checks Mr Gold's wound. When he pulls his hand away, there is blood on his fingers.

"Papa?" Baelfire whimpers, looking at him, terrified of losing his father again.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Neal brings Mr Gold up to his apartment, where Henry is still waiting for the adults, and Neal lays his father on the couch when Emma enters. "Found a storage room and locked our stab-happy pirate in there," Emma announces, checking on her son. "Shouldn't be causing anyone else any problems. And get this – he had a map on him. It looks like he sailed his ship here."

"How'd he get a pirate ship into New York?" Neal wonders, looking at Emma.

"It's cloaked. Don't worry. He's not going to hurt any of us," she replies.

"But is Mr Gold going to be okay?" Henry asks, looking at his mum.

"Henry, he's going to be fine," Neal assures him, knowing his father will find a way to survive.

"Mr Gold, are you alright?" He wonders, approaching Mr Gold, who grabs the boy abruptly.

"You stay away from me. You caused this. You brought us back here. You did this," Mr Gold sneers before releasing his grip on Henry. Emma pulls her son into her arms and holds her phone over to him.

"Hey, kid. The battery's dead. Go in the other room and see if you can find a charger, okay?" Emma asks him.

"Okay," Henry mutters, exiting the room, and Neal looks at his dad, seeing the bleeding and how worse it's getting.

"Oh, man… We got to get him to an ER, fast," Neal announces, making Emma look over at them.

"It's pointless," Mr Gold tells them, showing his wound turning yellow-green.

"What the hell is that?" Emma gasps, looking at the gross wound.

"It's poison. It's one of Hook's own making. There's no antidote in this world. It's… It's not from here," he explains, gasping through the pain.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. There's got to be some way we can save you," Neal argues, wanting to save him.

"There is, there is," the Dark One replies, quickly thinking of a way to save himself.

"Storybrooke. There's magic there now. We need to get him back," Emma realises, looking at them.

"I'll get a car," Neal announces, jumping to his feet.

"No, no, no. There's not enough time. We need something faster. The Captain's ship," Mr Gold argues, making them look at each other.

"The Jolly Roger instead of a car?" Emma questions, frowning.

"It's the fastest vessel in all the realms," he informs her.

"Well, that's great, but who's going to captain it, since the only guy qualified wants you dead?" She wonders.

"I can do it," Neal volunteers.

"Bae?" Mr Gold gasps, looking at his son.

"Yeah. I can do it," he assures them.

"You know how to sail a pirate ship?" Emma asks, looking at her ex-boyfriend.

"Yeah. I do," Baelfire replies, looking determined.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Back in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret, David, and Octavia drive to the convent, needing help, where they meet with Mother Superior outside. "Mother Superior! We need your help!" Mary Margaret shouts, rushing towards her with David tailing behind her.

"I know. Something's wrong. I sense a great deal of dark magic has been expelled," Mother Superior replies, looking around nervously.

"That's why we're here. Cora and Regina are trying to find Gold's dagger," David informs her.

"So they may control The Dark One," she realises.

"We're hoping your magic will find the dagger first. Please, Mother Superior, you're our only hope," Mary Margaret begs, and the Blue Fairy agrees, rushing to David's truck.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

During the night, Snow White wandered by lantern light in the woods by the castle, scanning the stars in the sky. "Is that the star… Or is it that one?" Snow wondered when the Blue Fairy appeared before her.

"Worry not, Snow White. I have found you," the Blue Fairy announced, making the young Princess look at her.

"The Blue Fairy. I knew you'd come, but… I didn't even make my wish yet," she argued lightly, frowning.

"Well, I know when I'm needed. Your mother, the Queen, is sick," the fairy replied, smiling kindly at the young Princess.

"Yes. And if you don't help her with magic, she'll die," the Princess pleaded.

"I can tell that you love your mother very much, Snow White. But fairy magic is the purest magic of all. And, alas, cheating death is the darkest of undertakings," the Blue Fairy argued lightly with the young raven-haired girl.

"Please… You can't just let her die," Snow begged, close to tears.

"It is the way of the world," she warned the young girl.

"There has to be something you can do," the Princess cried, noticing the Blue Fairy's demeanour change. "Yes. There is. You're just not telling me. What is it? Please."

"I may be able to conjure a remedy using a type of magic that is forbidden to fairies, except under the most dire of circumstances. You must promise to keep this a secret. No one must ever know," the fairy informed Snow, who looked hopeful.

"Yes. Yes, anything. Just help her," Snow begged and extended her hand to the Blue Fairy, who magically conjured an odd-looking candle that appeared in Snow White's hand.

"This candle is infused with magic that can save your mother's life. But all magic, especially magic this powerful, comes with a price," the Blue Fairy explained, looking at the Princess, who admired the black and white candle.

"What is it?" She wondered.

"In order for one to live… Another must die," the fairy replied.

"I don't understand," the Princess frowned.

"To salvage a life beyond hope means breaking the laws of nature. So if you are to save a life, then you must lose one in return," the Blue Fairy explained.

"But who must die?" Snow wondered, hoping for some guidance.

"That is for you to decide," she told her. "You must hold this candle over the heart of your sacrifice and whisper their name. And, when the candle is lit, that person's life will be traded for your mother's."

"All she ever wanted was for me to be good. I can't trade someone else's life for hers," the Princess argued, shaking her head.

"Then I'm afraid she will die," the fairy replied sadly, and Snow looked at the candle again.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Everyone is still gathered in Neal's apartment as he takes out his phone and texts someone who needs to get transport. "What are you doing?" Emma asks, looking at him.

"Getting us a car," Neal replies.

"I thought you were suddenly a pirate and were going to take a ship," she remarks, making Neal look at her.

"Yeah, well, we still got to get his ass to the ship," he argues, shrugging.

"So you know Hook?" The blond woman asks, looking at her ex-boyfriend.

"It's a long story. Short version is this world wasn't my first stop when I left home," Baelfire explains.

"No?" Emma questions.

"If it was, I'd be a couple hundred years old by now," Neal reasons, and his phone rings. "That should be our ride. Hang tight." He answers his phone and leaves the room. Henry gets Emma's phone working and finds a text, rushing to her side and giving it to her.

"Emma, you need to see this," Henry tells her, worried.

"What is it, kid?" Emma asks, taking the phone.

"It's a text from David and Mary Margaret. You need to read it – now," he tells her, handing the phone to her, and she reads the text from Mary Margaret.

"Bad news, Gold," she announces, looking at the dying Dark One.

"What, worse than incurable poison?" Mr Gold questions, groaning in pain.

"I don't know. You tell me," the Saviour retorts. "You got a dagger hidden somewhere in Storybrooke that's the source of all your power?"

"Get to your point," he grunts.

"Cora's after it. The only way to stop her is have David and Mary Margaret get to it first," Emma informs him.

"Yeah, let Cora try," the Dark One snaps.

"You can't seriously be willing to risk this. Not with your son coming back with you to Storybrooke," she argues, looking at her son.

"Miss Swan, that dagger has not left my possession for centuries. It's not about to now," Mr Gold assures her.

"Here's the thing. You're dying. And right now, we are your best hope. Time's come for you to start trusting someone. And, if I were you, I'd start with family," the blond woman reasons, needing to ensure that her son is safe, even if it's against his new grandfather.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret, Mother Superior, David, and Octavia stand outside of Mr Gold's shop, the fairy using her wand as she attempts to magically break through the protective barrier. However, her magic isn't strong enough, making the wand burn her hand, and she quickly drops it to the ground. "Ah!" Mother Superior yelps. "He's cast a protection spell."

"Well, then we need to try something equally powerful," Mary Margaret reasons, looking at the Blue Fairy and Octavia

"Dark magic?" David questions, looking at his wife.

"Dear, you don't know what you're saying," Mother Superior argues.

"Even if I could, that wouldn't help trying to find the dagger, Rumpelstiltskin is too powerful," Octavia adds.

"Cora can't get that dagger. If dark magic is the only thing that can break that protection spell, we need to make an exception and use it. Just like you told me once before," Mary Margaret retorts, making the Blue Fairy look at her confused.

"What… I never told you any such thing," the Blue Fairy says, frowning.

"Look, I kept your secret," Snow assures, and she looks at her, insulted by Mary Margaret's insinuation when David's phone rings.

"Everybody hold on," David tells the two women before answering his phone. "Emma? He told you where it is?" He glances at the town clock, signalling where she told them the dagger's hiding.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Snow White ran down the castle halls until she reached her mother's chamber. She rushed to her bedside as Johanna, the doctor, and several attendants watched, disheartened at the scene. "Mother… I'm sorry. I've done an awful thing," Snow told her mother, tearing up.

"Snow? What is it?" Eva asked, looking at her daughter.

"I went to the Blue Fairy and begged her to help…" She explained. "To save you with magic. But what she gave me? It… It was dark magic. A candle that could restore your life by taking away someone else's. It was the only way… But I couldn't do it. I'm sorry. I could've healed you. But I was too afraid."

"Snow… That wasn't fear. That was strength… Strength, to resist darkness. I am so proud of you," the Queen assured her, tired and close to death.

"But now you won't get better," the Princess sobbed, looking at her mother.

"We all reach a moment in our lives, where we are not meant to get better. And with or without me, someday… You will be a great queen," Eva told her.

"Please… Don't leave me," Snow begged, crying.

"As long as you hold the spirit of goodness in your heart, I shall never leave you," she promised, drawing her last breath, and then died.

"Oh, no… No…" The Princess sobbed, and Johanna approached Snow, pulling her into a tight hug as she cried.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

David, Mary Margaret and Octavia climb up the clock tower until they reach the clock face itself. David takes off the pane of glass and looks inside. "It's here! A clever hiding place for a very clever man," David remarks, detaching the dagger from the hand of the clock and handing it to Mary Margaret.

"We did it," Mary Margaret says, smiling.

"The Dark One finally can be controlled," he says when Cora and Regina magically appear in a puff of purple smoke.

"Indeed he can be. But by whom?" Cora muses, smirking at the Charmings.

"Cora…" Mary Margaret sneers, looking at the woman.

"You're too late," Octavia snaps, glaring at her mother.

"Actually, it seems that we found you just in time," Cora argues.

"I told you to pick your side carefully. Good has won, just as it always does," Mary Margaret says, looking at Regina, who looks conflicted as she stares at her sister and remembers the words she wrote in her letter.

"I think the day's finally come, my darling Snow, for you to learn a long overdue lesson." She retorts, waving her hand and making Johanna magically appear.

"Johanna!" Snow cries, looking at the last connection to her mother.

"You see, in the end, it isn't good or evil that wins… But power," the Queen of Hearts argues, and Regina magically sticks her hand through Johanna's chest, pulling out her heart.

"Your choice," Regina says, looking at the Charmings and Octavia.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Johanna and Snow White, dressed in black, were in the young Princess's bed chambers, and the maid lifted the diamond tiara from its box. "It's time, Snow," Johanna announced, making the young girl cringe.

"Today was supposed to be a day of celebration," Snow argued, as today was her birthday.

"And the kingdom needs you more than ever. They will find strength through your goodness," she replied lightly with the mourning Princess.

"Where will I find my strength?" The Princess wondered, hoping for some advice.

"Where you always have – from your mother," the maid told her, handing the tiara to Snow White, who then proceeded to place it on her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

"She was right. It is heavy," Snow mused, smiling sadly as she thought of her mother.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

The citizens of the kingdom gathered for Queen Eva's funeral. Snow White entered and walked down the aisle between the people towards where the Queen's body lies on the raised platform. "I miss you…so much," Snow whispered, placing a flower on her mother's body. She closed her eyes, and eventually, everyone left, letting the young Princess grieve in peace. Johanna entered shortly after and placed her hand on Snow's shoulder.

"It's over, my dear," Johanna announced. "It's time to let her go." Snow stood, and they left the room; the Blue Fairy flew in when the coast was clear, transforming into Cora.

"I hate that outfit. Don't know how that fairy stands it," Cora complained, approaching the altar. "As for you… Poison looks good on you. And death is most certainly your colour." She picked up the flower that Snow left. "You raised her well. My daughters don't love me the way yours does you. Snow would've been a great ruler someday, but that'll never happen, because my daughter will be Queen. And all yours will be left with is knowing how I've felt… How it feels to be the Miller's daughter. I'll turn Snow White's heart black as coal. That candle won't be her final test. And once I've darkened her soul, it won't just be you I've destroyed. It'll be your legacy." Cora kissed two fingers and placed them on Queen Eva's lips before disappearing into a cloud of purple smoke.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

The face-off between the Charmings and the Mills continues in the clock tower over the Dark One's dagger. "Do not harm her. She has nothing to do with this," Mary Margaret snaps, looking at the only link to her mother.

"Of course she does," Cora argues, glancing at Johanna and Mary Margaret.

"Whatever they want, Snow, don't give it to them," Johanna tells her.

"Quiet, handmaid," she snaps, and David draws his gun.

"Mother, watch out," Regina cries and Cora magically knocks the gun out of David's hand.

"Leave me, Snow!" Johanna shouts, and Regina begins squeezing Johanna's heart, causing her to yell in pain.

"Stop this, Regina!" Octavia snaps, glaring at her older sister.

"Enough of this. Surrender the dagger," Cora demands. "We all know you'll follow your mother's example, no matter the cost. All she ever wanted was for you to be good."

"Those words… Where did you hear those words?" Mary Margaret asks, looking at Cora.

"Where do you think?" She muses, smirking.

"The Blue Fairy made me swear never to speak of that candle again. Not because it was a secret… But because it wasn't her," Snow realises, glaring at her.

"The dagger, dear," Mrs Mills demands, holding her hand.

"She didn't give me that candle. You did. My mother wasn't sick at all, was she?" Mary Margaret questions angrily.

"Oh, she was quite sick," Cora assures her.

"You did all of this. You killed my mother!" She shouts.

"Actually, the candle would've worked. You could've saved her," the Queen of Hearts argues, shrugging.

"With a price, as you well know," Octavia snaps, glaring at her mother, who smiles at her youngest daughter.

"But you knew I wouldn't. Why? Why did you take her from me?" Snow asks her.

"To make my daughter the Queen," Cora reveals.

"Hand over the dagger," Regina demands, ignoring her mother's words for now.

"No. No. I will not let you win. Not again!" Mary Margaret snaps.

"You've already lost your mother. How many connections to her do you have left? Not many, I'd wager," Cora muses, looking at her.

"If we give up the dagger, we can still win," David assures her.

"Let me go, Snow. It's alright," Johanna tells her as Regina squeezes her heart again.

"What would she say if she could see you now? If she wasn't dead," Cora wonders and Regina squeezes the heart tighter, making Johanna yell out again in pain. "The dagger, dear."

"Enough!" Mary Margaret shouts, throwing the dagger to the ground. Regina releases her grip on Johanna's heart, and Cora magically summons the dagger to her hand.

"Such a good girl," she laughs, admiring the dagger.

"You have what you came for," Snow snaps, and Regina places Johanna's heart back into her chest. Johanna rushes over to Mary Margaret and David.

"Not quite everything," the Queen of Hearts retorts, suddenly using her magic to throw Johanna through the face of the clock, almost causing her to fall to her death.

"I don't think so," Octavia mutters, waving her hand, which allows Johanna to safely land on the ground. Mary Margaret rushes to the clock face and sees Johanna safely lying on the ground below, and David joins her, comforting his wife.

"Well, there you go. You see where good gets you?" Regina remarks before she and her mother disappear in a puff of purple smoke.

"Indeed it does," Octavia muses, looking at the Charmings. "We need to go. We should get her to the hospital." Mary Margaret races down the stairs, and David looks at Octavia.

"Thank you," David mutters, and they quickly join Mary Margaret and the unconscious Johanna. Octavia enters Doctor mode, checks on the unconscious former maid, and looks at the Charmings.

"I need to get her to the hospital," she informs them. She sees the fallen look on Mary Margaret's face. "Just as a precaution, Snow." The Healer looks at the former Princess. "There's a few cuts from the glass, but that's all. I want to make sure she's okay."

"Okay…" Mary Margaret mutters, looking at Johanna before Octavia disappears in a puff of teal smoke.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Regina and Cora arrive at Regina's Mayoral office and look around at her nice office. Cora steps over to the desk, sits in the chair and lays the dagger before her. "It's nice to be back. Hiding is quite wearisome," Regina muses, smiling at the familiar feel of the room.

"I like what you've done with the place," Cora comments, interested in the look around the office.

"I'm so happy you approve." she retorts.

"What is it, my love? You're troubled," the red-haired woman asks, looking at her daughter.

"You never told me about your history with Snow's mother," the Evil Queen muses, looking at her.

"I spared you that burden, like any good parent would do," Cora argues, looking calm.

"You didn't think I deserved to know exactly what it took for me to become Queen?" Regina questions, looking hurt.

"Now you know," she assures her, though there is more to it than that.

"That day at the stables, when I rescued her? That wasn't an accident, was it?" The Evil Queen asks, everything clicking into place, all those years ago before she became the Queen.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Regina remembered that day when she was reading a book in the study with Octavia, who had already disappeared to God; she knew where after their mother scolded her about something unknown to Regina. Cora walked into the room and looked at her daughter, interrupting her alone time. "Regina, sweetie, it's time for your riding lesson," Cora announced, making Regina look at her confused.

"Mother, I have no lesson today," Regina argued, frowning.

"Oh, I thought you'd be happy. I arranged for you to have more time with Rocinante," she replied, smiling.

"Of course. Thank you. I'll send the stable boy for my saddle right away," the future Queen said, smiling, and almost skipped out of the room but stopped herself.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

A young Snow White and Johanna rode on horseback in the woods with King Leopold and his entourage.

"You made sure I'd be in the pastures when Snow rode past," Regina realises, hurt.

"I'm so tired of these endless journeys," Snow White complains on her horse while Johanna stands with hers as they stop for directions.

"Your father, the King, is a lonely man," Johanna argues, looking at the young Princess and then back at the King. "But have faith. Someday, his wanderings will end."

"You had to make sure when I met Snow White…" She mutters, looking at Cora.

Suddenly, Snow White's horse was spooked and took off through the forest while Cora hid behind a tree.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

"Her father would be searching for a new Queen," Regina sighs, feeling betrayed again by her mother.

Regina and Daniel met by the pastures when a distressed Snow White rode past on her horse. "Help me! Help!" Snow screamed.

"Shh. Someone's here," Regina muttered, looking away from Daniel to see Snow racing past them.

"Someone help me!" She shouted in fear as she grew closer to the edge of a cliff.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

"What does this knowledge change for you?" Cora asks, looking at her daughter and sighing as she sees the realisation cross her face.

"That you won, mother. I am the Queen. And, if that's what you wanted so badly, why do you need Rumpelstiltskin's dagger now?" Regina questions her, wondering what all this could mean now.

"You're worried my interests are no longer aligned with yours," she wonders, looking at her daughter.

"My only interest now is Henry," the dark-haired woman argues.

"And I've told you – you'll have him," the Queen of Hearts assures her.

"But how? Now that Mary Margaret and David know we have the dagger, we can't use Gold to kill them without Henry finding out." Regina reasons, scared of losing Henry forever.

"Have patience, my love. By the time Rumpelstiltskin returns, Emma Swan and the rest of them will be nothing more than a vaguely unpleasant memory. And Henry, will be yours. We'll be a family again," Cora promises her, though she is more power-hungry than anything. Regina looks at her mother, concerned as she thinks about her sister, who she loves more than anything and wants a future with her sister and her son.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Meanwhile, in New York, Emma and Neal walk to the car that he arranged to get them to the docks where the Jolly Roger is, thanks to Killian. "It should be one more block west," Neal tells her, looking at his phone.

"Once we get the car, what do we do about Hook?" Emma wonders, looking at him.

"I don't know. He made his way to New York," he argues. "I'm sure he could make his way out of a basement. You have a problem leaving him behind?"

"Actually, it's been done before," she retorts, smirking as she thinks about Octavia. She hopes everyone in Storybrooke is doing okay since she last spoke to them.

"Great," Baelfire mutters, looking at the cars as they walk.

"I have to admit, after some of the things you've said, I'm surprised you'd rally to his side like this." The blond woman muses.

"There's a difference between running away from your father, and watching him die in front of you. He may be a monster, but he's my blood," Neal argues, looking at Emma.

"What happens when he's healed?" Emma wonders, hoping he'll stick around for Henry's sake.

"I don't know. Forgiveness ain't something I think is possible with him," he reasons, shrugging.

"But somewhere inside you, you hope someday, it will be," she retorts.

"Life's full of surprises, isn't it?" Baelfire questions, looking at her.

"Well, no matter what, it'll be nice for Henry to be around you a little bit, even if it is just for a visit." The Saviour argues.

"Here's our car," Neal announces, running over to a grey car and crouching by the wheel, grabbing a set of keys from inside.

"Please tell me we are not going to hotwire this thing," Emma groans, looking around.

"No. Uh… It belongs to a friend," he replies nervously.

"That's a generous friend," she remarks, looking at her ex.

"Yeah, about that. Um… We need to finish our conversation from earlier. There's something you need to know about me before we get on the ship," Baelfire tells her when they're interrupted by a woman, who spots Neal before running up to them.

"Neal! Thank God I caught you," a woman calls, making them turn to see her as she hugs Neal.

"What are you doing here?" Neal asks, looking at her confused, though he's happy to see her.

"I don't know. I… Maybe I got a little worried after talking to you. You can't just say you're… Leaving town for a while," she argues.

"Hey. Yeah, listen. Everything's fine, okay? I promise," he assures her.

"Great, sweetie. Just tell me what's going on," the woman asks.

"Neal?" Emma questions, looking at her ex.

"I'm Tamara," she introduces herself, shaking hands with Emma.

"Emma," the blond woman replies, glancing at Neal.

"She's my fiancée," Neal reveals, shocking Emma and her heart flops into her stomach.

(f)(a)(r)(i)(y)(t)(a)(l)(e)(s)

Mary Margaret and David sit in the waiting room at the hospital for news about Johanna as Octavia looks after her. "Octavia said she's going to be okay," David assures his wife, holding her hand.

"That never should've happened. Johanna was an innocent," Mary Margaret argues, close to tears.

"You can't blame yourself. You did the best you could do in an impossible situation," he tells her, smiling softly.

"And yet, Regina's family mausoleum remains untouched," she snaps, jumping to her feet, annoyed and scared for Johanna.

"Mary Margaret…" Charming mutters.

"I've had the same rule my entire life – hold on to goodness. It's what my mother taught me. How many more lives is following that lesson going to take away from me?" Snow wonders, wishing Cora had never brought Johanna into this mess.

"You can't let Cora make you lose faith in who you are – someone who does the right thing. You know, that's exactly what she wants," David argues, not wanting his wife to lose herself.

"I made the 'right' decision, when I stopped Regina's execution all those years ago. When it could've saved us all of this heartache," Mary Margaret retorts. "I made the 'right' decision, when I sent Emma through the wardrobe alone, and we didn't see her first steps. I made the 'right' decision, when I let my own mother die from Cora's poison."

"And we keep beating them," he tells her.

"At what cost? All I want is our happy ending. It's time. We've earned it. No more lives lost. No more hearts broken," she argues.

"The dagger… It's useless until Gold returns to Storybrooke. We have time. We'll get it back. And when we do, we can bring Cora and Regina to justice," Charming assures her.

"I don't care about justice anymore. We keep thinking that people will change. What if that's wrong? What if I'm the one who has to change?" Snow wonders hatefully.

"Change how?" David asks her.

"I'm going to kill Cora," Mary Margaret announces, shocking David and Octavia, who walk into the waiting room.