VII. "Now, dance with me, Sheriff."
Mr French unloads flowers from his delivery van, going on with his day as if nothing is wrong, when Mr Gold and one of his thugs watch him from the sidewalk. "Well, this is just perfect. I've been looking for you, Mr French," Mr Gold remarks, looking at the man.
"I'll have your money next week," Mr French assures the man, wanting to get on with his work and pay the money later.
"The terms of the loan were fairly specific. Take the van," he orders his thug, who goes to the driver's seat.
"Wait! No! Tomorrow's Valentine's Day," the florist argues. "It's the biggest day of… I've got a grand in roses in the back!" Mr Gold's lackey starts the van. "Stop! You've got to let me sell them."
"I'm going to leave you two to continue this conversation," Gold remarks, looking at his thug.
"Oh, this is no way to do business, Gold. You are the lowest!" Mr French shouts. "People aren't going to put up with this!" He attempts to block the van but is unsuccessful as the thug in the truck drives away, and Mr Gold crosses the street. He runs into Regina, who watches.
"Mr Gold. That was quite a show back there," Regina comments, looking at him with a smirk.
"Well, Mr French is just having a bad day – happens to the best of us," Mr Gold argues, walking down the street and heading into the town centre.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about something," she replies, walking with him.
"Yeah. And the moment you have something I want to discuss, we'll have that little chat," he retorts.
"No, we're going to do this now. It'll only take a moment," the Mayor snaps, needing to talk with him quickly.
"Is there something eating you, dear? Something you need to get out in the open? Cause it's going to have to wait. Please," Mr Gold says, and Regina backs down, allowing him to walk past her.
{BLESSING}
Mary Margaret and David sit at Granny's diner but sit at separate tables, trying not to be subtle. David reads a book recommended by Mary Margaret while she drinks coffee, pretending to not be together. "Oh, you got the book," Mary Margaret muses, looking at the book title and smiling.
"Yeah. Yeah, I just started it. It's great. Can't wait to see how it ends," David says, and Ruby comes over to refill Mary Margaret's coffee.
"Uh, I can push the tables together if you guys-?" Ruby asks, looking between the two adults.
"Oh, no. We're not together," Mary Margaret argues, shaking her head.
"No. No, that's-," David argues, and Ruby leaves as Emma and Landon enter the diner. They sit across from Mary Margaret. Landon smirks between Mary Margaret and David, and Emma slaps him.
"Hey, David," Emma greets him, smiling at the man.
"Hey, Charms," Landon greets David, who looks at him funny. Emma looks at him but thinks of Henry, who always tells Landon about his Fairy Tale book, so it isn't so strange.
"Hey," David says, looking between them.
"Mary Margaret," Emma smiles, looking at her roommate. "So. How's your day going?"
"Henry's fine," Mary Margaret assures her.
"Yeah, don't make it so obvious, Emma," Landon teases his girlfriend, who slaps him on the arm again.
"Shut up, Landon," Emma snaps at him. "That's not what I asked you. …You sure?"
"Really – he's his normal self," Mary Margaret assures the stressed biological mother, who hasn't seen her son for a while after Emma confronted Regina with Sidney. "Regina won't keep you separated forever. When people are supposed to be together, they find a way."
"Yeah. So, he's his normal self? He's fine? He's happy?" She questions, needing to get the answers.
"Yes. No! He misses you – a lot. Trust me – I'm with him, like, six hours a day," the teacher replies and looks at Landon. "I mean, you spend most of your time with Landon, Henry's uncle. He'll tell you anything you wanna know."
"I do, trust me, I do," Landon tells her. Ashley enters the diner with her baby and hands her to Granny, who happily takes the adorable baby. Ashley then joins Mary, Margaret, Emma, and Landon at their table.
"Six hours? You take newborns? Cause I'd love six hours off," Ashley asks, having heard most of their conversation as she tried getting into the diner with the buggy.
"Ashley! I didn't… I didn't even recognise you," Mary Margaret remarks, looking at the young mum.
"Baby on the outside?" Ashley jokes, and Landon pushes the chair out for her as she sits and smiles at him.
"How's it going?" Emma asks him, smiling at the mother.
"It's, uh… It's, uh… I mean, baby's great, but we really haven't had time to do the whole getting married thing. So, that's been rough. And Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery," she explains, enjoying a tiny moment with the other women and Landon.
"Well, he has to work," Landon argues. "I'm sure he'd rather be with you and the baby. I mean, I was the same way when Regina brought Henry home." The women look at him. "What? It's normal." Ruby comes over to give Ashley her one coffee of the day, which she will enjoy for the moment.
"On Valentine's Day? Yeah. He couldn't get out of it," she groans, wishing to spend the night with her boyfriend.
"I'm sorry. That sucks," Emma sighs, looking at Landon.
"Don't look at me like that, Sheriff Swan. I asked you if you wanted me to push my budget meeting back to tomorrow and you said, no. Also, you said you were working," Landon argues, earning looks from the women around the table.
"It doesn't have to. Come out with me. Let's have a girl's night," Ruby suggests, looking at the women. "We can all go. Mary Margaret – Emma, too. If you leave the badge at home."
"I'm not really in the party mood, but you guys can all go and have fun," Emma tells them, and her phone vibrates.
"What's that?" Mary Margaret asks, looking at the blond woman.
"It's the station – something's up," she announces, jumping from the table. Landon looks at the woman.
"I wish my phone would ring right now," Landon grumbles and takes out his phone, wishing it would ring.
"Take her out on a date," Mary Margaret tells him, and Landon nods, unlocking his phone.
{BLESSING}
Mr Gold walks up the pavement to the front door of his house, noticing his door ajar. He pushes it open and enters the house. Inside, he draws out his gun and slowly moves further into the house. The floor creaks behind him, and he turns around, seeing Emma with her gun also drawn and pointed at him. "Sheriff Swan," Mr Gold greets her, lowering his weapon.
"Your neighbour saw your front door open – they called it in," Emma explains, lowering her gun.
"It appears I've been robbed," he announces, and Emma muses at him.
"Funny how that keeps happening to you," she remarks, looking around the house as much as she can from the front door.
"Yeah, well, I'm a difficult man to love," Gold replies, and Emma moves into the house, but Mr Gold doesn't want her to come in any further. "Sheriff Swan, you can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it. I've got it from here."
"No, you don't. This was a robbery – a public menace," the Sheriff argues. "And if you don't tell me what you know, I'll have to arrest you for obstruction of justice. I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."
"Indeed not. Alright, his name's Moe French. He sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral," Mr Gold explains, though he will go after Mr French himself.
"Okay. I'll go get him – check him out," Emma replies, holstering her gun.
"I'm sure you will – assuming I don't find him… Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people," he remarks, and she looks at him.
"Is that a threat?" She asks, wanting him to take back what he just said before she has to arrest him.
"Observation. Good luck," Gold retorts, and Emma leaves, hoping to get to Moe French before Mr Gold.
{BLESSING}
Later in the day, Emma pulls back a sheet at the station, revealing several items on her desk to Mr Gold after tracking down Mr French, though he wasn't there. "You're welcome. You were right – your man Moe ripped you off. It was all still at his place." Emma informs him.
"And the man himself?" Mr Gold asks, looking at her and the items, seeing something missing.
"Closing in on him," she assures him.
"So, job well 'half-done', then," he remarks, and Emma looks at him.
"In less than a day, I got everything back. Is something wrong?" The Sheriff asks him.
"You've recovered nothing. There's something missing," Gold informs her before he goes to leave.
"I'll get it when I find him," Emma assures him.
"Not if I find him first," Mr Gold argues, leaving the station.
{BLESSING}
The day ends, and night arrives; Mary Margaret, Ruby, and Ashley sit at a table drinking at the bar. "Pace yourself, Ashley," Mary Margaret warns her, watching the young woman down drink after drink.
"I am! This is the first night out since I've had the baby – I am making up for lost time." Ashley argues, drinking another.
"Ooh, Ash – check out those guys," Ruby says, pointing to a group of guys standing by the bar.
"Oh, honey, I'm still with Sean," she argues, thinking of her boyfriend.
"You're not married, and he's not here," the red-wearing woman retorts, rolling her eyes.
"He's working," the young mother snaps at her friend.
"He's always working. Have fun moping," Ruby grumbles and talks to the guys, leaving Ashley and Mary Margaret alone.
"She's right – he is always working. I thought love would be different," Ashley mutters, looking at Mary Margaret.
"Me, too," Mary Margaret agrees, wishing she could be with David, but he's married and loyal to his wife.
{BLESSING}
Meanwhile, David is at the Dark Star Pharmacy, looking through the display for Valentine's Day cards, selecting two, and heading to the line to pay for them, where Mr Gold is also waiting. "Two Valentines - sounds like a complicated life," Mr Gold remarks, looking at the man.
"Oh, no. I… I just couldn't decide," David replies, looking at the cards nervously.
"These are both for the same woman?" He wonders, messing with the man.
"Well, they're both so…us," Nolan says, not wanting to reveal that the cards are for two different women.
"I see. Well, you're fortunate you have someone that loves you," Gold remarks, though he knows more than he lets on.
"I really am," David replies, smiling, and Mr Gold gets to the cashier, putting a roll of duct tape and ropes on the counter.
"Love – it's like a delicate flame. And once it's gone, it's gone forever. Best of luck to you," Mr Gold comments as Mr Clark totals the amount on the register, holding back a sneeze.
"Thanks," he says as Mr Gold pays before leaving. David steps up to the cashier when Mr Clark sneezes. "Oh, bless you."
"Ah, thank you," Mr Clark replies, taking the two cards.
{BLESSING}
Mr Gold drives around Storybrooke in Mr French's van with the man in the back tied up with rope and gagged with duct tape, wiggling to try and escape.
{BLESSING}
Mr Gold drives the van to a cabin in the woods. He gets out and opens the back doors of the truck, drawing a gun at Mr French and pointing it at him so he'll comply. "Walk," Mr Gold orders him, leads Moe to the cabin, and they go inside. "You see, here's the thing – I don't normally let people get away."
{BLESSING}
After being allowed to go into the village close to the castle by Rumpelstiltskin after being confined there with him, doing his housework. Suddenly, the Evil Queen's carriage drives past her. The carriage stops, and the Historian opens the door. "Did the carriage splash you?" Landon asks her, stepping out onto the dirt path. He looks at his black boots.
"Oh. Oh, no, um… I'm fine," Belle assures him, looking nervously at him and finding him very attractive, though he seems somewhat cocky.
"You know, I'm tired of riding – let me stretch my legs and walk with you for a spell," he retorts, smiling, already knowing about the sweet little bookworm. Belle looks at him as he orders his driver to continue, and they walk along the path. "You carry very little." He gestures to Belle's basket.
"I don't want to be slowed down," Belle explains.
"Mm. You're running from someone. The question is, master or lover?" Landon wonders and sees the look on his face. "Oh. Master and lover."
"I might take a rest. You… You go on ahead," she says, and the Historian smiles at her, putting his hand on her back as they continue walking.
"So, if I'm right, you love your employer, but you're leaving him," he remarks, sighing.
"I might love him. I mean, I could, except… Something evil has taken root in him," the bookworm explains, and he muses as he thinks of what his sister said and what needs to be done.
"Sounds like a curse to me," the Historian remarks, making Belle look at him in wonder. "And all curses can be broken. A kiss born of true love would do it. Oh, child, no. I would never suggest a young woman to kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?"
"Right," Belle replies, thinking about what he's just said.
"Besides, if he loves you, he would've let you go. And if he doesn't love you, well, then the kiss won't even work," Landon assures the young woman.
"Well, he did let me go," she muses, thinking about Rumpelstiltskin.
"Yes, but no kiss happened," he argues, smiling at the sweet woman, who blushes under the stranger's charming smile.
"And a kiss… A kiss is enough? He'd be a man again?" The sweet woman asks to help Rumpelstiltskin find the man she sees underneath.
"An ordinary man. True love's kiss will break any curse," the Historian assures the sweet girl, and Belle thinks about it deeply as she gets an idea about saving Rumpelstiltskin from himself.
{BLESSING}
A little while later, Rumpelstiltskin grows worried about poor, sweet Belle as she hasn't yet returned and watches the road into his estate from the tower. He spots Belle and rushes to his wheel, pretending to be busy and not as if he's been waiting by the window all afternoon for her as she arrives. "Oh, you're back already. Good… Good thing. I'm, uh… I'm nearly out of straw," Rumpelstiltskin remarks, spinning his wheel.
"Hm. Come on – you're happy that I'm back," Belle says, smiling at him.
"I'm not unhappy," he retorts, grumbling, though he's relieved to see her back at the castle.
"And, uh, you promised me a story," she remarks, moving towards him and placing some straw for him.
"Did I?" The Dark One questions, hiding his smile as he loves spending time with the sweet bookworm.
"Mmhmm. Tell me about your son," the young woman requests, liking the sweeter side of Rumpelstiltskin.
"I lost him. There's nothing more to tell, really," Rumpelstiltskin replies, shrugging as he continues spinning his gold.
"And, since then, you've loved no one. And no one has loved you," Belle says, looking at him.
"Why did you come back?" He asks her, wondering why she'd come back when he gave her the chance to be free.
"I wasn't going to. Then… Something changed my mind," she explains. She leans towards him slowly before kissing him, making Rumpelstiltskin briefly appear human again.
"What's happening?" The Dark One asks in shock, looking at his hands as the green tint to his skin disappears.
"Kiss me again – it's working!" The bookworm exclaims, looking at him as his crocodile-like skin disappears slowly.
"What is?" Rumpelstiltskin demands, glaring at her.
"Any curse can be broken," Belle repeats what Landon told her. Rumpelstiltskin quickly stands up, reverting back to his darkened appearance.
"Who told you that? Who knows that?" He snaps, demanding answers.
"I-I… I don't know. He, uh… He… He…" She stutters, flailing around nervously.
"He…?" The Dark One questions, then it comes to mind and angrily storms over to the covered mirror, pulling off the sheet and starting to yell into it. "You evil soul! This was you! You turned her against me! You think you can make me weak? You think you can defeat me?"
"Who are you talking to?" The sweet woman asks, watching him as he yells into the mirror like a madman.
"The Historian! Your friend, the Historian! How did he get to you?" Rumpelstiltskin snaps, looking back at her.
"The-The Historian? I don't-?" Belle questions, never exchanging names with the charming stranger.
"I knew this was a trick. I knew you could never care for me. Oh, yeah!" He shouts, breaking her heart. "You're working for them. Or is this all you? Is this you being the hero and killing the beast?"
"It was working-," she argues, trying to make him listen, but Rumpelstiltskin doesn't want to listen.
"Shut up!" The crocodile-like beast screams, not wanting to listen to her as he feels betrayed.
"This means it's true love!" Beauty shouts, wanting him to hear her, not seeing the problem.
"Shut the hell up!" Rumpelstiltskin orders, his anger getting the better of him.
"Why won't you believe me?" Belle pleads, close to tears, with all the anger towards her from Rumpelstiltskin.
"Because no one – no one – could ever, ever love me!" He shouts, grabbing her and taking her to the dungeons, throwing her into a cell and locking her inside alone.
{BLESSING}
In the woods cabin, Mr Gold removes the duct tape from Mr French's mouth after sitting him in a chair in the middle of the cabin. "Let me explain, okay? Let me explain," Moe begs and pleads, but Mr Gold doesn't listen to him. Mr Gold grabs another chair and sits before Mr French, pushing the end of his cane into his neck and cutting off his air.
"Oh. Well, that is…fascinating. Truly fascinating," Mr Gold muses, smirking. "I'm going to let you breathe in a second, and you're going to say two sentences. The first, is going to tell me where it is. The second, is going to tell me who told you to take it. Do you understand the rules? Good. Let's begin." He pulls the cane back from Mr French's neck.
"I needed that van!" He shouts at the man, wiggling around.
"Now, you see, that is not a good first sentence," Gold remarks, hitting Mr French with his cane.
"Ow! Gold! Listen!" Moe snaps.
"Tell me where it is!" Mr Gold demands, hitting the man with his cane again.
"Ow! Stop!" He screams.
"Tell me where it is!" The cruel man shouts, hitting him again.
"Ow! Stop! It wasn't my fault!" Mr French yells.
"'My fault'? What are you talking about, 'my fault'? You shut her out. You had her love, and you shut her out!" Mr Gold shouts, getting too angry and messing up his words as he hits the man again.
"Ow!" He yelps, wincing from the repeated blows from the cane.
"She's gone. She's gone forever – she's not coming back. And it's your fault! Not mine! You are her father! Yours! It's yours!" Gold screams in a rage, hitting Mr French with his cane repeatedly.
{BLESSING}
In a rage, Rumpelstiltskin takes his old cane from his time as an ordinary man and smashes the glass of the armoire in his dining room.
{BLESSING}
Mr Gold continues letting his anger out on Mr French with his cane at what he did to Belle a long time ago and blaming her father. "It's your fault! It's your fault!" Mr Gold shouts, drawing back for another strike, when Emma appears behind him, grabs his arm, and stops him.
"Stop," Emma demands, glaring at Mr Gold, though she can see he's going through something.
{BLESSING}
Still, in a rage, Rumpelstiltskin starts smashing the teacups one by one against the wall. He hesitates when he gets to the chipped cup, thinking about Belle and the moments with her. Instead of smashing it, he places it on the table.
{BLESSING}
Mary Margaret returns to the table at the bar, where Ashley sits alone. "Girls' night's really working out for you," Mary Margaret remarks, looking at the young mother trying to enjoy her.
"I thought it would make me feel better," Ashley says. "But the truth is, I need a 'be with my guy night'. But he's never around, and I'm at home with the baby all day. I mean, what's the point of being together if we're not together?"
"I get it. Loving someone you can't be with – it's a terrible, terrible burden," she replies, thinking of David.
"You know, this was a bad idea. I should… I should go home," the young blond decides when Sean arrives at the bar with a bouquet of flowers.
"Ashley?" Sean calls to her, making her look at her boyfriend.
"Sean?" Ashley questions, surprised to see her boyfriend there.
"Hey," he greets her, smiling lovingly at his girlfriend and the mother of his child.
"I thought that you were working tonight?" She asks, frowning a little but really happy to see him.
"I am – it's my break. And I… I had to see you. And ask you something," the young father replies. Giving the flowers to Ashley before kneeling and taking out a ring from his pocket. "Will you marry me? I only have a twenty-minute break, so, um, anytime now."
"Yes!" The young blond exclaims, beaming with excitement.
"My truck's outside if you want to take a ride before I head back to work. It's not much of a date-," Sean replies, smiling from ear to ear.
"It's the best date," Ashley argues, linking her arm with his arm, the young couple beaming with their newfound engagement.
"Then, your carriage awaits," he replies, leading her out of the bar, both forgetting Mary Margaret alone at the table.
{BLESSING}
Mary Margaret heads outside, spotting Ashley and Sean getting into his truck and driving off on their little date. David appears and approaches Mary Margaret nervously. "How's girls' night?" David asks, looking at her, and Mary Margaret looks at him in surprise.
"David? What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asks him.
"Well, I knew you'd be here. And I, uh… I wanted to give you your Valentine's Day card," he replies, pulling a card out of his jacket pocket and handing it to her.
"Checking up on me?" She questions, smiling slightly.
"Maybe a little. I didn't want you finding somebody else," Nolan says, smiling back at her.
"Like you?" The sweet teacher asks, opening the Valentine's Day card and reading it aloud. "Kathryn, I woof you…" David takes the card from her and takes another from his pocket.
"I'm so sorry. I meant… I meant this one," David retorts, handing her another one, and she looks at it, feeling conflicted.
"I-I… I always thought that if two people were supposed to be together, they'd find a way. But, David, if this is our way, I think we should find another one," Mary Margaret tells him, wanting love, but not if it's this hard.
"Mary Margaret-," he says, wishing he could convince her but not wanting to push her.
"I think you should go home to Kathryn," she replies, not wanting to be the other woman anymore.
"I know. You're right, but it doesn't mean I'm going to give up. We'll find a way," Nolan assures her, not wanting to lose Mary Margaret.
"I hope so," the black-haired woman replies, her heart filling with a bit of hope.
"Happy Valentine's Day," David says, smiling at her.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Mary Margaret repeats, both walking away in different directions.
{BLESSING}
At the cabin, Mr Gold and Emma stand outside with Mr French lying on a stretcher and being loaded into an ambulance by paramedics. "So, I heard you managed not to break anything he needs. You're lucky, Mr Gold," Emma remarks.
"You got a funny definition of lucky," Mr Gold retorts, glaring at the ambulance as it drives away.
"You have a funny definition of justice. What did he really do?" She asks him.
"He stole," he answers vaguely.
"That reaction was about more than taking a few trinkets," the Sheriff argues. "You said something about how he hurt her – what happened to 'her'? Who was that? What did he do? If someone needs help, maybe I can help."
"No. I'm sorry, Sheriff. I think you heard that wrong," Gold replies, not wanting to answer any more questions.
"You really don't want to cooperate?" Emma asks him.
"Look, we're done here," Mr Gold states, walking away.
"Actually, we're not. You're under arrest," she informs him, taking out a pair of handcuffs and starting to cuff him.
{BLESSING}
After calming down a little, Rumpelstiltskin opens the door to Belle's cell, though he still feels betrayed by the sweet bookworm. "So, what are you going to do to me?" Belle asks him, looking at the Dark One.
"Go," Rumpelstiltskin tells her, not looking at her, only looking at his feet.
"Go?" She repeats, staring at him in shock as if she misheard him.
"I don't want you anymore, dearie," he replies, and she goes to leave but turns around and walks back into the cell, wanting to stay with Rumpelstiltskin.
"You were freeing yourself! You could've had happiness if you just believed that someone could want you. But you couldn't take the chance," the bookworm argues, glaring at him.
"That's a lie," the Dark One retorts, looking up and glaring at the sweet, beautiful woman he's come to care for.
"You're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin," Belle states. "And no matter how thick you make your skin, that doesn't change."
"I'm not a coward, dearie. It's quite simple, really. My power means more to me than you," Rumpelstiltskin replies, shocking her.
"No. No, it doesn't," she argues, shaking her head in denial. "You just don't think I can love you. Now, you've made your choice. And you're going to regret it – forever. And all you'll have is an empty heart – and a chipped cup." Belle finally leaves the dungeon, breaking Rumpelstiltskin.
{BLESSING}
Mr Gold and Emma arrive at the Sheriff's station, and she places him in a cell, where he sits as she watches him while eating her sad little dinner, wishing she could be anywhere but there, especially on a date with Landon.
"Pastrami – you want half?" Emma asks, trying to get him to talk. "You know, I still owe you that favour. Nice, fatty pastrami. Delicious way to clear the books."
"Well, I don't need a reminder that you owe me a favour," Mr Gold argues. "And when the day comes that I make my request, it'll be for more than half a sandwich." Regina struts into the room with Henry and Landon behind her.
"Sheriff Swan? I'm letting you have thirty minutes with Henry. Take him out – buy him ice cream," Regina announces, surprising both Henry and Emma. Landon smiles at his sister, though he doesn't know why she's doing this.
"You want me to leave you alone with a prisoner?" Emma questions, looking at the Mayor.
"Twenty nine and a half minutes," she says, and Henry steps over to his biological mother, smiling.
"Hi, Emma," Henry smiles.
"Hey," Emma replies and looks at Landon, who smirks at her.
"Hello," Landon says, holding his hand, and she takes it.
"Bring me back a cone?" Mr Gold asks, making them look at him.
"Just this once. Come on – let's go," Emma replies, looking at Regina and then the Mills boys before grabbing her coat and leaving with Henry and Landon.
"Well, you really wanted that little chat, didn't you?" He questions, turning and looking at Regina.
"Apparently, this is the only way I could do it," Regina remarks, moving towards him.
"Please – sit," Gold says, and Regina walks over to a couch near the cell and sits on the edge, watching him and reminiscing about the Enchanted Forest in the later days before the Dark Curse. "Now, when two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck. Do you have what I want?"
"Yes," she answers.
"So, you did put him up to it, then," Mr Gold concludes, glaring at the Mayor.
"I merely suggested that strong men take what they need," the Mayor argues, shrugging her shoulders with a slight smirk.
"Oh, yeah. And you told him just exactly what to take, didn't you?" He questions.
"We used to know each other so well, Mr Gold. Has it really come down to this?" Regina wonders, looking at him.
"It seems it has, yeah. But you know what I want – what is it you want?" Gold asks.
"I want you to answer one question. And answer it simply – what's your name?" She demands lightly.
"It's Mr Gold," he answers, though they both know that isn't correct.
"Your real name," the Evil Queen snaps.
"Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name," Mr Gold replies, annoying Regina further.
"But what about moments spent elsewhere?" Regina wonders, cooling herself off a little.
"What are you asking me?" He asks, tilting his head as if acting innocently.
"I think you know. If you want me to return what's yours – tell me your name," she retorts.
"Rumpelstiltskin," the Dark One reveals, making her smile. "Now give me what I want," he demands angrily.
"Such hostility," the Mayor muses, enjoying this a little too much.
"Oh, yeah," Mr Gold spits and Regina pulls out the chipped cup from her purse.
"Over this? Such a sentimental little keepsake," Regina remarks, dangling it before him until he grabs the cup from her.
"Thank you… Your Majesty. So. Now that we're being honest with each other, let's remember how things used to be, shall we? And don't let these bars fool you, dear. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm going to be out of here in no time, and nothing between us will change," he reminds her coldly.
"We shall see," the Evil Queen argues before leaving the station.
{BLESSING}
Rumpelstiltskin sits at the wheel spinning straw in his castle, missing Belle, when the Evil Queen and the Historian enter the room, and Regina goes straight to making herself a cup of tea. "Flimsy locks. I have a deal to discuss. A certain…mermaid," Regina informs Rumpelstilskin, and Landon moves around the room, admiring the dark and magical items around the chamber.
"I'm not dealing today," Rumpelstiltskin informs the Mills siblings.
"Are you angry with me? What is it this time?" She questions, looking at him with amusement.
"Your little deception failed," he replies. "You'll never be more powerful than me. You can keep trying, dearie, but you're never going to beat me."
"Is this about that girl I met on the road?" Landon wonders, making Regina and Rumpelstilskin look at him in surprise, and even he sees the surprised look on the Evil Queen's face. "Hm? What was her name? Margie? …Verna?"
"Belle," the Dark One replies, making Landon smirk.
"Right. Well, you can rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy," he assures Rumpelstiltskin, making him stop spinning and walking over to the Historian.
"What tragedy?" Rumpelstiltskin demands, standing before the taller and muscular man.
"You don't know?" The Historian remarks, looking down at the Dark One. "Well, after she got home, her fiancé had gone missing. And after her stay here – her association with you – no one would want her, of course. Her father shunned her, cut her off, shut her out."
"So, she needs…a home," he replies, stopping himself from smiling in front of the Dark Twins, who can use this against him later.
"He was cruel to her," Landon informs him with lies. "He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while, she threw herself off the tower. She died."
"You're lying," the Dark One hisses.
"Am I?" He wonders, tilting his head.
"We're done," Rumpelstiltskin announces, and Landon looks at his younger sister.
"Fine – I have other calls to make," Regina remarks. "The place is looking dusty, Rumpel. You should get a new girl." The Evil Queen and the Historian leave the room, and Rumpelstiltskin opens his armoire and takes out the chipped cup. He then walks over to a pedestal with a goblet on top and replaces it with the cup.
{BLESSING}
Mr French is now in a wheelchair after being seen by doctors and sits in the waiting room at the hospital for a ride back home. Regina walks past him towards a door with a keypad, minding her own business. She enters the code quickly before heading down to a psychiatric ward in the hospital's basement, and she hands the nurse at the desk a rose from her garden. "Pretty," the nurse muses, looking at the flower.
"Well, I know how hard you work. Has anyone been to see her?" Regina asks, making the nurse look at her.
"No, ma'am. Not today, not ever," she replies, and Regina walks along a corridor, passing several doors on each side, even passing a patient who mops the floor. The Mayor comes to a door with a sliding hatch to look inside, and she opens it, revealing Belle inside a padded room, scruffy and with a lost look in her eyes.
{BLESSING}
"Now, I know it's almost the end of Valentine's Day, and I'm a busy man, and you're protecting this town from everything. But will you have this dance with me?" Landon asks as Emma steps into his apartment, not expecting him to be standing in the hallway, waiting for her after she finishes her paperwork at the station and leaving Mr Gold in his cell.
"What's gotten into you?" Emma asks, looking at her boyfriend. She's mainly tired after everything, though she likes this side of Landon.
"It's Valentine's Day, and let's be honest, we're probably going to see each other much over the next few days. I've got the newspaper to run, and you'll be running around Storybrooke, stopping criminals," he remarks, making her laugh as she closes the door behind her.
"You realise that Valentine's Day was yesterday?" She questions, making him grin.
"Of course, though he barely saw each other the last few days with you tracking down Moe French," the Newspaper Editor remarks, making Emma look at him. "I am a news reporter, I know everything that goes on in this town. Don't act so surprised, Em." He moves towards her, and she takes his hands. "Now, dance with me, Sheriff."
"Is that any way to ask?" The blond woman muses, and Landon pulls her towards him, spinning her around towards the living room; Emma laughs as they shamelessly dance around the room, not bothered by their mess. Emma pulls away and removes her jacket, matching his flowing white shirt and black trousers. She picks up his old shirt from the day before, seeing how it comes down to her knees, showing their height difference.
"You look good in my clothes," Landon remarks, making Emma blush and pushing him away.
"Stop flirting so early in the morning," Emma grumbles, hiding her face, but he cups her chin, making her look into his eyes.
"Never."
{BLESSING}
A few days after Valentine's Day, David and Kathryn sit at the table eating their dinner at home in an awkward silence. "Chicken's delicious," David comments, trying to break the uncomfortable silence between the husband and wife.
"David, there's something we need to discuss," Kathryn announces, looking at her husband.
"Okay," he replies, glancing at his wife.
"I applied to law school," she informs him, surprising David.
"That's amazing! Why didn't you ever tell me?" Nolan wonders.
"I don't know. Maybe cause I didn't think I could actually do it, but I did. I got this today – I got in," Mrs Nolan replies, handing him a piece of paper she received that morning.
"It… It's in Boston," David stutters, looking at it in shock.
"I know things have been hard between us, but maybe a fresh start is what we need. Maybe we've been fighting too hard to recapture old memories, when we should've been making new ones instead." Kathryn insists, smiling at him, and he looks at her.
{BLESSING}
The next day, Mary Margaret gets out of her car and meets David on the main street, having planned to meet after he told his wife about them. "What did you tell her?" Mary Margaret asks him.
"That I needed to take a walk. Clear my head. Think about it," David replies, shrugging.
"I'm guessing you didn't tell her that the walk was with me," she retorts, looking at him, a little annoyed.
"No. No, of course not," he tells her, not wanting to tell his wife about seeing Mary Margaret after everything.
"Why is that our default? Lying?" The sweet teacher wonders, feeling horrible about everything.
"Because I don't-," Nolan says, but she stops him.
"We're not being honest," Mary Margaret argues. "I know it's hard, but we have to tell her the truth about everything – about us."
"I don't know if I can," David replies, hanging his head.
"You have to," she tells him. "If we can't be honest with other people, how can we be honest with each other?"
"Is it really the best plan?" He wonders.
"What's your plan? Moving to Boston?" The black-haired woman asks, ignoring his other question.
"No," Nolan replies, not wanting to leave Storybrooke.
"The only way no one gets hurt here is if we don't want to be together. Is that what you want?" Mary Margaret asks.
"No," David says.
"Well, then we have to stop hiding and do something," she argues. "It's better she hears it from you than from someone else. You have to make a choice."
"I choose you," he tells her, making her smile.
"Then, it's time to tell Kathryn," Mary Margaret warns him, not wanting to break Kathryn's heart, and neither does David.
{BLESSING}
Meanwhile, August's motorcycle is parked outside Granny's Diner. Emma arrives at the same time as August is leaving, finishing his breakfast. "I've been meaning to bump into you," August remarks, looking at the blond woman with a smile. "Matter of fact, I was hoping we might grab that drink you promised."
"Is that you asking me out?" Emma questions, frowning.
"Well, if putting a label on it makes you more comfortable, sure. Let's call it a date," he replies, and she smirks.
"I thought you came here to write – find inspiration," she argues, shaking her head at his antics.
"I'm optimistic about our date," the writer remarks, smirking.
"See, I have a policy – I won't go out with guys who won't tell me their names. I find it weeds out the ones who like to keep secrets, like they're already married or store body parts in their freezer. It was nice talking to you," the Sheriff says, turning away and walking past him to enter the diner. "And I have a boyfriend." August looks at her in surprise but smiles, thinking it's a ploy.
"It's August. August W. Booth," he informs her, making her turn back to him.
"Really? With the middle initial?" Emma questions.
"W's for Wayne. So, there goes your reason for not meeting me here after work," August replies, and she smirks, shaking her head.
"I do have a boyfriend. His name's Landon Mills," she tells him. August looks at her as she enters the diner.
"Landon Mills?" he questions, thinking about it.
{BLESSING}
Emma walks into the diner and finds Mary Margaret already inside there, waiting for her, with Landon coming out the back. "Who was that?" Landon asks, sitting with his girlfriend and the teacher.
"I don't know yet," Emma replies, kissing him on the cheek.
"Yet? So, you're going to find out?" Mary Margaret wonders, and Landon looks at his girlfriend.
"It's nothing," she assures them. "I'm just going to find out why he's here."
"Nothing with you means something. Because if it were nothing, we wouldn't be talking about it," the sweet teacher rants, surprising the couple.
"I'm sorry – I thought you called me here to talk about you?" The Sheriff questions, looking at her roommate.
"Yeah, but talking about you is easier right now," Mary Margaret argues, shrugging.
"What is it? What's going on?" Landon asks, looking at the teacher. The women lower their voices to a whisper.
"Remember when you told me to stay away from David and I agreed?" she remarks, looking at her friend and roommate.
"Yes," Emma replies, getting a feeling about where this conversation is going.
"I didn't," the black-haired woman reveals, and Emma and Landon share a glance.
"Yeah, I know," Landon and Emma reply, making Mary Margaret look at the couple in shock.
"You both do? How?" Mary Margaret asks, glancing at them.
"Because I'm Sheriff, and you are a lovesick school teacher. Covering your tracks is not exactly your strong suit," Emma argues, smiling at her friend.
"I'm a newspaper editor-in-chief, I know how to find a story," Landon retorts, shaking his head.
"Well, I've been discre-discrete," Mary Margaret argues.
"Two teacups in the sink, new perfume, late nights, plunging necklines. It was not hard to connect the dots," Emma replies, making Mary Margaret look at her in shock, and Landon laughs.
"Plunging?" She gasps, looking at her outfit.
"When I met you, you were a top button kind of girl," the blond woman says, smiling, though she likes the change in her friend.
"Huh. Why didn't you say anything?" The sweet teacher asks.
"I'm not your mother," Emma argues.
"No. Well, according to Henry, I'm yours," Mary Margaret jokes, though Emma doesn't share her humour.
"I just figured that you would let us know when it was time. I'm assuming it's time," she replies, smiling.
"He's telling Kathryn," the black-haired woman informs them.
"Everything?" Landon asks in shock, never thinking of David Nolan as a man who can make a choice like that, not like his Enchanted counterpart.
"Everything," Mary Margaret confirms with a bit of dread.
{BLESSING}
Kathryn sits on the computer at home when she hears David return from his walk. "David? David, come take a look," Kathryn calls out to her husband, beaming. "I found a whole bunch of great apartment options. I have no idea which neighbourhood to look at, but… Have you ever been to Boston?"
"No. No, I've never been," David replies, knowing no one from Storybrooke has ever been to Boston.
"Maybe we should ask the Sheriff, Emma. She's from there," she remarks, looking at him. "She could probably help-."
"Kathryn. I can't go to Boston with you," he announces, making her look at him.
"Can't? Or won't?" Mrs Nolan asks, trying to understand what's causing him not to leave with her.
"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. I… I don't know what to say," Nolan replies, struggling to get everything into words.
"Try the truth. David, is there something going on that I don't know about?" Kathryn questions, wanting the truth from her husband.
"No. No, something happened," David replies, lying. "I don't know what it is, but there is something that's preventing me from connecting. And it's not fair to you to let that screw up your life. You're right – you need a fresh start. It's just not with me."
{BLESSING}
August stays in his room at Granny's B with Henry's fairy tale book. He takes it apart and treats each of the pages. Around the room, he has several pages hanging on a clothesline to dry. On the table, part of the book has already rebounded. August takes a dried page off the line and adds it to the stack. He starts rebuilding it with string.
{BLESSING}
Regina and Henry sit on the couch in the Mayor's office. Henry has a box with a bow on his lap, a gift from his mother. "Oh, go on. Open it," Regina encourages her son.
"What's the occasion?" Henry asks, inspecting the box.
"The occasion is I love you. Go on," she tells him, and Henry rips into the wrapping paper and opens the box, pulling out a new video game. "Now, I know you miss your book, but with this, you can do the heroics. You can save the princesses, you can be the hero. Henry, you have to believe me. When I tore down the playground, I did it for your safety. Please, don't be upset with me. I really didn't mean to destroy your book."
"It's not just the book," he argues, looking at her.
"Okay, then what is it?" The dark-haired woman questions, stroking his cheek.
"It's Emma – I want to see her," the Mayor's son pleads, and Kathryn opens Regina's office door, not looking around the room.
"Regina, have you got a min- I'm sorry," Kathryn says, looking at Henry, who looks back at her.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Regina assures her and turns to her son. "Henry, why don't you get home and start your homework? I'll be there in a bit and we can have dinner. I think Uncle Landon is coming over too." Henry nods and leaves the office. Kathryn bursts into tears once the tween leaves, and Regina walks over to her, trying to comfort her friend. "Oh, Kathryn, what is it?"
"It's David. He's leaving me," she sobs as Regina wraps her arm around her and leads her over to the couch to sit.
"That little homewrecker," the Mayor mutters, making Kathryn stop crying and looking at Regina.
"Excuse me?" the blond woman questions.
"She just couldn't stay away, could she?" Regina remarks, filling Kathryn with doubt and anger.
"What are you talking about?" Kathryn asks, wiping her tears away.
"Why, Mary Margaret, of course," she replies, and Kathryn frowns before glaring.
"What's Mary Margaret got to do with this?" Mrs Nolan wonders. "What's Mary Margaret got to do with any of this? Regina, do you know something?"
"They've been having an affair," the Evil Queen informs her, though she seems sincere almost.
"How do you know this? How? Did you see something?" Kathryn asks, shaking her head in shock.
"I saw pictures. Sidney was always looking for scandal – it sells papers. He showed me. I had Landon bury them, of course," Regina assures her.
"Show me," she requests, looking at Regina.
"Kathryn-," the Mayor says.
"Show me!" The blond woman snaps, and they walk over to Regina's desk, where Regina pulls out a folder. Kathryn snatches it from her, opens it, and takes several pictures of David and Mary Margaret together. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, looking up at Regina with more tears across her face.
"Because I thought you two were working it out," Regina explains. "I wanted you to work it out. Believe me, I want you two together."
"Why? Why do you care about any of this?" Kathryn asks, looking at her in confusion.
"Because I'm your friend," she replies, smiling softly.
"No, you're not. A friend wouldn't do this. A friend wouldn't lie. Everyone's lying to me," she snaps, storming out of the Mayor's office.
{BLESSING}
Mary Margaret walks through the halls at the local school while David looks through pictures at his house. He decides to call Mary Margaret, who answers her phone on the second ring. "Hey," Mary Margaret says, seeing who's calling. "Did, uh… Did you do it?"
"Yeah. It's bad," David replies, sighing.
"I'm sorry," she apologises.
"No, it was, um… It was really bad," he warns her.
"But you told the truth. So, now, we can pick up the pieces. We can start over from a real place," the sweet teacher assures him, smiling.
"Hey, I want to see you. Can I come by when you get done at school?" Nolan asks.
"Of course! I'll see you then. And, David – you did the right thing," Mary Margaret tells him, and they hang up. In a rage, Kathryn enters the school, enters the hallway, finds Mary Margaret, and storms towards her. She bumps into the gym teacher in the process.
"Oh, hey! Watch where you're going," the gym teacher snaps at her, looking back at the blond woman.
"Kathryn. I'm… I'm sorry," Mary Margaret stutters, and Kathryn slaps her across the face.
"Screw you, you're sorry," Kathryn sneers, glaring at the sweet teacher.
"I understand you're upset. You have every right to be," she assures her, trying to remain calm and calm Kathryn down as people look at them in the middle of the hallway.
"Thank you for that insight," the blond woman snaps.
"Can we… Can we please talk somewhere private?" the teacher asks, looking around at the peering eyes.
"Private? Why do you get any consideration at all? You have shown none for me – either of you. All you did was lie," Kathryn growls, feeling the hurt and betrayal.
"We should have talked to you sooner, but we've been completely honest. We didn't lie," Mary Margaret argues.
"You didn't lie? You snuck around. You had him break up my marriage with a pack of lies. With some crap about not being able to connect? He didn't have any trouble connecting with you," she snaps in her rage.
"David didn't tell you about us?" The black-haired woman asks, looking at Kathryn in shock.
"No, of course not. That would have been the honourable thing to do," Mrs Nolan shouts.
"But, he said he would tell you," Mary Margaret replies, looking at her and feeling even more horrible.
"Well, then he lied to you, too. Good luck making it work. You two deserve each other," Kathryn sneers before storming back out of the school as everyone looks at Mary Margaret.
{BLESSING}
August pulls up to Granny's Diner on his motorbike. Emma comes out to meet him, and Granny and Landon watch off to the side. "You going to come in? I thought you wanted that drink," Emma asks him, and Landon scoffs.
"I do, but I didn't say here. Hop on," August replies, looking at her and then glancing at Landon, who glares at him.
"You want me to get on the back of that bike?" She questions, admiring the bike.
"That's what 'hop on' means," he retorts, teasing her.
"How about if we go somewhere, I drive?" The Sheriff suggests, looking at him.
"How about you stop having to control everything and take a leap of faith? You owe me a drink. Hop on. I know a good watering hole," the writer assures her.
"If you don't, I will," Granny mutters, making Landon glance at her.
"Hush you," Landon says, making Granny look at him. "Emma, be back for our date."
"I'll be there, won't I, August?" Emma questions, glancing at her boyfriend and then at August.
"Yes, ma'am," August assures them and hands Emma a helmet before the two ride off.
"No need to be jealous, Landon," Granny reassures him. "She's crazy about you."
{BLESSING}
Emma and August reach a well at the forest's edge before getting off the bike and walking over to it. "A watering hole? Literally?" Emma questions, looking around.
"Well, say what you want about me – I always tell the truth," August retorts, smirking.
"I just thought a drink was, like, wine or whiskey," she argues, shrugging.
"What, do you want me to get you drunk?" He jokes.
"No," the Sheriff retorts.
"Next time," the writer teases her.
"You are optimistic," Emma laughs. "Please, Landon would punch you, he's done it before," she warns him, and August brings over two cups, cringing at the thought of getting punched by Landon. He hands one to Emma and then begins to pull up the well's bucket.
"They say there's something special about this Well," August remarks, glancing at Emma and changing the subject. "There's even a legend. They say that the water from the well is fed by an underground lake, and that lake has magical properties."
"Magic? You sound like Henry," she jokes, looking inside.
"Smart kid. So, this legend. It says that if you drink the water from the well, something lost will be returned to you," he replies, trying to get her to believe.
"You know an awful lot about this town for being a stranger," the blond woman remarks, glancing at him.
"And you know very little for being the Sheriff," the writer argues.
"How do you know all this? You've been here before?" Emma wonders, hoping to get some information out of the newcomer.
"I know all of this for one very simple reason – I read the plaque," August replies, smirking.
"You actually believe that?" She questions, not believing him.
"I'm a writer. I have to have an open mind," he says.
"Yeah, but magic?" The Sheriff asks.
"Water is a very powerful thing," the stranger replies. "Cultures as old as time have worshipped it. It flows throughout all lands, connecting the entire world. If anything had mystical properties – if anything had magic – well, I'd say it'd be water."
"That's asking a lot to believe on faith," Emma argues, still closed-minded about a lot of things.
"If you need evidence for everything, Emma, you're going to find yourself stuck in one place for a long time." August argues, smirking and lifting up the bucket.
"Maybe. Or, maybe I'll just find the truth before anyone else," she retorts, and he hands her one of the cups.
"Well, Miss Skeptic, there's one thing I can tell you for sure that requires no leap of faith, and I know you'll agree with me." the writer says, watching her as she drinks.
"What's that?" The blond woman wonders, looking at him.
"It's good water," August retorts, and they toast.
{BLESSING}
Mary Margaret walks down the street, crossing paths with several people who appear to be talking and whispering about her. She accidentally bumps into Granny, distracted by everything. "Oh, gosh!" Granny exclaims.
"I'm sorry, Granny. I must have not been looking," Mary Margaret apologises, keeping her steady so she doesn't fall.
"I'm sorry, I didn't…" she says, then glances at Mary Margaret, frowning. "Oh. You."
"Excuse me?" The teacher gasps in shock as she looks at the usually friendly and kind Diner owner.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," the older woman scolds her before quickly continuing down the street.
{BLESSING}
David fruitlessly tries scrubbing the word 'TRAMP' off the side of Mary Margaret's card, written with red spray paint. Mary Margaret sees him when she gets to her car, seeing the vandalism on her vehicle. "Who did this?" Mary Margaret asks, making David look at her, and he tries to hide it with his body, but she's already seen it.
"I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know how any of this happened," David replies, moving away and stepping towards her.
"You don't know? Really?" She questions, stepping back in anger and sadness.
"Mary Margaret, I can't control what other people do," he argues.
"No, but you can control what you do. And you lied. And, now, everyone is calling me a tramp," the innocent teacher snaps, wishing she could take the whole day back.
"Who told her?" Nolan wonders, thinking about it.
"That is exactly the wrong question. The real question is, why didn't you do what we discussed? Why didn't you tell her?" Mary Margaret argues.
"I thought we could spare her feelings," David retorts, shrugging, not seeing the problem.
"Right – you thought. Not we – you. And we discussed this," she snaps, wanting to gently tell Kathryn together.
"I didn't want anyone to get hurt," he tells her.
"Now everyone is hurt. We had an understanding. We had an agreement. But you not only lied to her, you lied to me," the raven-haired woman replies, shaking her head.
"Mary Margaret, please. Listen to me," Nolan begs. "If we want to see if… If this – if what we have – is love… We have to do what you said. You know, we have to pick up the pieces, and we've got to move on."
"David, this isn't love. What we have is something else entirely. What we have is destructive, and it has to stop," Mary Margaret argues, not wanting to be labelled a tramp or homewrecker because of everything that's happened between her and David.
"What are you saying?" David wonders, feeling his heart break a little.
"That we shouldn't be together," she confirms, not wanting to do anything further. She gets into her car and wants to go home.
{BLESSING}
Emma arrives back in town and brushes the leaves off her yellow beetle when she notices a red metal box in the gutter. She recognises the same box Henry hides his book inside; she opens it and finds the fairy tale book inside, fully intact. August watches Emma from around the corner.
{BLESSING}
When Kathryn enters, Regina stands in her office, crying and watering the plants. "It's beautiful," Kathryn comments. "I had no idea you were so good with plants."
"Well, better than with people, it would seem. What are you doing here? I thought after what happened yesterday, I'd be the last person you'd want to see," Regina remarks, looking at her friend.
"So did I. And then I thought about it, and I realised I owed you an apology," she replies, sighing.
"Kathryn, you don't-," the dark-haired woman assures her.
"I know you'd never do anything to hurt me," Mrs Nolan says. "I was just so angry, and confused, and I snapped. I'm sorry. I've just been fighting so hard to hold on to David, I've never stopped to ask myself why."
"He's your husband. You love each other. You always have," Regina tells her, trying to comfort her.
"No, we haven't," Kathryn argues, taking out a picture of Mary Margaret and David. "See the way he looks at her? He's never looked at me like that, not even before his accident."
"Kathryn, relationships take work. You can't give up so easily," she argues.
"Have you ever been in love?" The blond woman wonders, looking at her friend.
"Yes. Once," the Mayor replies, thinking of the dead love she lost long ago.
"Then, you're lucky," Kathryn remarks. "Because what I'm coming to understand is… Is that I haven't. What they have is real. It's true. My marriage to David, it… It just was like an illusion. I don't know how it happened, but it was never real. I know that now. The way David looks at Mary Margaret – that's what I want for me. And I'm going to go out there, and I'm going to find it."
"What are you talking about?" Regina asks, frowning.
"I'm sticking to my plan. I'm moving to Boston. Alone. If I stay here, I'll never be happy," she informs her, wanting to get away from Storybrooke.
"And what about David?" The Evil Queen wonders.
"I wrote him a letter – him and Mary Margaret. I told them they should be together," Mrs Nolan replies, wanting to put everything behind her.
"Uh, I'm sorry. You did what?" Regina questions, looking at her in shock.
"I can't see him. Not now. It's just too painful," Kathryn says, hugging Regina, who hugs her back awkwardly. "I'm going to miss you, Regina. You've been a good friend to me."
"You're really going?" She asks, pulling away from the hug.
"You know, it's funny. I've always had this irrational fear of leaving Storybrooke, like something's just holding me back. Is that crazy?" The blond woman muses, looking forward to being away from Storybrooke and starting her new life in Boston.
"No. Change is always frightening," the Mayor remarks. "But you know what, Kathryn? This just may be what you need. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for."
{BLESSING}
Regina leaves her office after seeing Kathryn off and opens the front door to the Nolans' house using her skeleton keys. She knows that David isn't there at the moment, and she knows Kathryn has gone. The Mayor steps inside, spotting Kathryn's letter to David on the counter, quickly takes it and leaves.
{BLESSING}
After school, Henry is sitting on the bench outside his school, playing his new video game, when Emma and Landon walk up to him. The blond woman carrying a bag sits beside him. "Wow, I love that game. Space Paranoids, right?" Emma questions, glancing at the screen,
"Yeah, my mum got it for me," Henry replies, glancing at Emma and Landon.
"I used to play that all the time when I was a kid. Relax – it's all in the wrists," she advises him, smiling sweetly at him.
"My mum's picking me up in, like, five minutes," he warns Emma.
"Alright. I'll be quick, then. I just have something I'd like to give you," the Sheriff tells him, taking the book out of her bag and giving it to Henry.
"You found it! Where'd you get it?" The Mills boy wonders, looking at it and taking the book with glee.
"I found it in a gutter. It must have fallen off the dump truck on the way to the junkyard and got tossed around in the rain. And, somehow, made its way back to me," Emma replies, thinking about it.
"Wow. That's crazy," Henry marvels.
"Yeah," Landon laughs, and Henry nudges him.
"What other explanation could there be?" Emma asks, looking at her son.
"I don't know," Henry replies, smiling at the couple.
"Well, whatever happened, it came back to me," she argues, nudging him.
"Maybe, it means our luck is changing. Operation Cobra is back on. It's a sign. Things are going to be better," he says, hoping it's true.
"I hope you're right, kid. We got to go," the blond woman replies.
"We'll see you later," Landon says, ruffling Henry's hair before they head off.
{BLESSING}
When Emma enters the apartment, Mary Margaret is lying on her bed, thinking about everything that happened the past day with Kathryn. "You feel like talking about it yet?" Emma asks her friend.
"Nope, Mary Margaret answers, sulking in her own misery.
"You want to be alone?" She asks her.
"Nope," she repeats, and Emma lies beside Mary Margaret on the bed, both staying silent.
{BLESSING}
Regina arrives back at her office, taking Kathryn's letter for David out of her drawer with a sinister smile as she glances at the red spray paint can also in the drawer. The Mayor grabs a lighter from the desk and heads to the fireplace.
{BLESSING}
Sitting in her car, Kathryn takes a deep breath before driving off and heading out of Storybrooke for a fresh start with all of her things and heading for Boston. She looks along the road as she drives, feeling her spirits lift a little and hoping she can find some happiness for herself.
{BLESSING}
Regina uses the lighter as she stands before the fireplace and lights the note with a smirk as she thinks about what will happen to Kathryn and whatever may happen to David and Mary Margaret.
{BLESSING}
Kathryn drives along the road that leads out of Storybrooke and smiles when she sees the sign in the distance, feeling a sense of freedom, but it doesn't seem like it will last much longer as she gets closer to the edge of town.
{BLESSING}
Regina briefly watches the letter burn in her hand before throwing it into the fireplace, moving back to her desk, sitting in her chair, leaning back, and musing to herself alone.
{BLESSING}
The school gym teacher drives along the road leading out of Storybrooke and comes across Kathryn's crashed car at the base of the Storybrooke sign. He quickly parks his car and rushes to investigate, finding the car empty and the airbag deployed.
{BLESSING}
Regina sits at her desk and stares at the fireplace as Kathryn's letter burns. She smiles and feels almost victorious at making David and Mary Margaret suffer in the last few days and hopefully in the coming days.