IX. "Don't think we've all forgotten."
Emma takes Mary Margaret to the Sheriff's station and takes her mugshot, "Please turn to the right," Emma instructs her.
"Emma, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Kathryn," Mary Margaret argues, turning to the right.
"Of course you didn't. But, while I am your friend, I am also the Sheriff. And I have to go where the evidence leads," she reminds her, not wanting to arrest her roommate and friend.
"Which points to me? Emma, yesterday it was David. There's something not right here," the teacher retorts.
"I know. But, your fingerprints were on that box, and his are not. So, now we have to deal with this," the Sheriff tells her, trying to explain.
"Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn's heart…and buried it in the woods. This is insane," Mary Margaret snaps.
"If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's going to look like favouritism," Emma argues, not wanting to do this, but she is obligated. "And then, Regina will have cause and she will fire me. And then, you know what she'll do? She'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So, please – just try to be patient and trust me. We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn. And I am still waiting for the DNA test results. But, in the meantime, you need to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions."
"This is crazy. I would never hurt anyone," she repeats, shaking her head, but she holds back her tears.
A little later, Emma leads Mary Margaret into the interrogation room, where Regina is already inside waiting for them. "Hello, Miss Blanchard," Regina greets her, smiling though she's trying not to smirk.
"What is she doing here?" Mary Margaret asks, glaring at the Mayor.
"She asked to be here as a third party to make sure that I stay impartial. It can only help you," Emma informs her, though she did talk to Landon, but as he's also a friend, it'd be a bad idea.
"I have nothing to hide. Ask me anything," she replies, sitting at the table, and Emma turns on the tape recorder.
"The heart was found buried near the old Toll Bridge," the Sheriff explains. "It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?"
"Yes, many times. It's where David and I liked to meet," the teacher replies, glancing at the recorder.
"Mr Nolan," Emma clarifies.
"Yes," Mary Margaret agrees, nodding.
"And, you met there… For what purpose?" She asks, needing to know everything to help clear her friend.
"We were having an affair," the raven-haired woman confesses. "I'm not proud of what happened, and I'm sorry. But that doesn't change the fact that I did not kill Kathryn." Emma takes the jewellery box from a cabinet and places it on the table before Mary Margaret.
"Have you ever seen this before?" The Sheriff asks, knowing she's seen it before at the apartment.
"Yes, it's my jewellery box," Mary Margaret announces, and Regina looks at the box and the woman.
"That's what we found the heart in," Emma informs her, and the teacher looks at it in shock.
"Don't you see what's happening here? Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn't have anything to do with it. I'm innocent!" She argues, shaking her head in denial.
"Miss Blanchard, it's okay. I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. To be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place. Changed me. I can only imagine what losing David Nolan did to you," Regina remarks.
"But, I haven't changed. I'm still the same person I've always been – a good person. I did not do this," the teacher snaps.
"Can I speak to you in the hallway, please?" Emma requests, and she and Regina go into the hall to talk. "I told you to leave the questioning to me."
"How do you know she didn't do it?" Regina argues, looking back into the interrogation room. "If that box was stolen from her as she claims, don't you think there'd be signs of a break in? Well, you're her roommate – tell me. Has there been a break in? She is a woman who's had her heart broken, and that… That can make you do unspeakable things."
(BLESSING)
After talking with Regina, Emma heads back to Mary Margaret's apartment. She checks the locks of the door and windows, and Landon comes inside with Henry. "Henry. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?" Emma asks, looking at her boyfriend.
"We have to help Miss Blanchard," Henry declares, and Landon gestures to his nephew.
"Try telling this kid to do anything other than what he wants to do," Landon remarks, looking at his girlfriend, who smiles.
"I am helping her. That's why I'm searching the apartment. But you got to go home," she argues. "Both of you."
"Not going to happen," the Mills boys argue, making Emma look at them.
"Just stay out of the way," the Sheriff tells them, looking around.
"So, what are we looking for?" Henry asks, and Landon pulls on the boy's coat, stopping him from going further into the apartment.
"I'm trying to see if maybe someone broke in," Emma informs them, making the Mills boy look at her in surprise. "Looking for busted door jambs, broken glass, muddy boot prints. That kind of thing."
"So, you think someone's setting her up?" Landon asks, knowing there are a few ways, but all of them involve his sister, and he doesn't want to be put in the middle.
"It's the only thing that makes sense. The only problem is, nobody's got a motive," she argues, glancing at Landon.
"My mum does," Henry declares, making Landon and Emma look at him.
"Regina?" The blond woman questions, looking at her son.
"She hates Snow White. Hey, you wanted a motive," he argues, and Landon smirks, shaking his head.
"Well, I don't think 'she hates Snow White' will hold up in a court, Henry," Emma remarks and enters Mary Margaret's room. Landon moves Henry further to the door and joins Emma in the room. Emma flops onto the bed after looking at the pictures on Mary Margaret's desk.
"I know she's in jail, but I don't think she wants you sleeping on her bed," Landon jokes, earning a laugh and a slap from Emma. Suddenly, the heat noisily turns on, making the couple look around for the source of the rattling sound. They search for the noise source, and Emma looks to the floor and sees a heating vent. She takes off the vent's grate and sticks her hand inside.
"Did you find something?" Henry asks, and Emma pulls out a hunting knife wrapped in a cloth.
(BLESSING)
Landon takes Henry to Granny's Diner after Emma finds the hunting knife. Landon orders Henry a hot chocolate and a coffee for himself. August enters and sits beside Henry at the counter. "I don't think that hot chocolate's going to drink itself. You're upset about your teacher, aren't ya?" August asks, and Landon looks at him, not entirely glaring at the man.
"She didn't do it. Why can't anyone see that?" Henry huffs, sulking.
"Because most people just see what's right in front of them. And I don't think you're going to find the answers you want at the bottom of that mug," he retorts, shrugging.
"Then where?" The Mills boy asks.
"That a book in your bag? You know I'm a writer. So, I'm partial to finding my answers in the literary form," the writer says, and Landon laughs.
"It's just a book," Landon argues, earning a look from Henry and August.
"Is it?" August questions, and Henry looks back at him. Landon scoffs; the book is a personal one; it has nothing to do entirely with August or Henry.
"Yeah," Henry replies, thinking about it.
"I think we both know that that's not the case. Can I get a water, please?" He asks Granny, who nods.
"What do you know about it?" The Mills boy asks.
"I know it's a book of stories," the writer replies, smiling.
"Aren't all books?" Landon argues, rolling his eyes.
"Stories…that really happened," August retorts, looking at Landon, still feeling the fear about him from the Enchanted Forest.
"You think my book is real?" Henry asks, looking at August.
"As real as I am," he says, smiling.
"How do you know?" The Mayor's son wonders.
"Well, let's just say that, uh, I'm a believer. And I want to help others see the light. That, my friend, is why I'm here," the newcomer replies, shrugging.
"But I already believe," Henry argues, and Landon smiles, knowing his nephew believes wholeheartedly.
"Oh, I'm not here for you, buddy. I'm here for Emma," August explains, and Landon growls.
"So, you want to get her to believe? Why don't you just tell her?" He asks, and Landon looks at them, feeling rather left out of the conversation.
"Well, there are some people – like you and me – we can go on faith. But others – like Emma and maybe your uncle – they need proof," the writer argues, glancing at Landon.
"Last time I tried to find proof, I got trapped in a sinkhole," the Mills boy grumbles, looking at Landon.
"Don't think we've all forgotten," Landon remarks, smirking.
"There are less dangerous places to look," August assures him, tapping Henry's book.
(BLESSING)
Meanwhile, when David knocks at the door, Regina peels an apple in her office and lets himself inside. "Hey. Can I talk to you?" David asks.
"Of course," Regina replies, smiling.
"These accusations against Mary Margaret – they've been gnawing away at me. She didn't do this," he tells her.
"I understand what you're going through. It's painful when someone we care about betrays us," she retorts.
"She's a good person. I know her," Nolan argues, shaking his head.
"Maybe you don't. Maybe, you just want to. Everyone has a dark side, David," the Mayor argues.
"Yeah, sure, but having a dark side and doing something so evil – that's a different thing. That's not what she is," David tells her, not wanting to believe in the darker side of Mary Margaret.
"Perhaps. I always believe that evil isn't born – it's made," Regina muses, thinking of her own past.
"All due respect, Regina, I don't think you know much about evil," he argues, only seeing the Mayor, not the Evil Queen.
"Well, if she didn't do it, then who did?" She wonders, hoping for some insight into his mind.
"I don't know. That's what I've been trying to figure out. But those blackouts I've been having – they've made everything so hazy," Nolan tells her, holding his head.
"Please, tell me you're not accusing yourself," the dark-haired woman sighs, though that will work for her either way.
"You know, maybe if I could clear up my missing time, I could prove Mary Margaret's innocence," David argues, wanting to help Mary Margaret.
"You're very sweet, David. But you're also wrong. Evil doesn't always look evil. Sometimes it's staring right at us, and we don't even realise it," Regina remarks, making him think.
(BLESSING)
Emma is with Mary Margaret at the station, who is now locked in a cell. "The heating vent? Emma, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is," Mary Margaret argues, shaking her head.
"Well, someone did, and they put a hunting knife in there," Emma informs her, going straight to the station. "I checked for signs of a break in, but there weren't any."
"You don't believe me," she concludes, feeling isolated.
"Of course I do. But what I think doesn't matter. The evidence is piling up by the hour," the Sheriff tells her.
"Okay, what are you saying?" The accused asks, needing more information.
"I'm saying, you should think about hiring a lawyer," Emma tells her, and Mr Gold enters.
"An excellent idea," Mr Gold remarks, smirking.
"Mr Gold. What are you doing here?" She asks, looking at him.
"Offering my legal services," he replies.
"You're a lawyer?" The blond woman questions.
"Ever wondered why I was so adept at contracts?" The man retorts, glancing at Mary Margaret. "I've been following the details of your case, Miss Blanchard. And I think you'd be well-advised to bring me on as your counsel."
"And why is that?" Mary Margaret asks.
"Well, because the Sheriff had me arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I managed to persuade the judge to drop the charges," Mr Gold retorts, smirking at his brilliance.
"Asserting your influence isn't what's needed here. We need to find the truth," Emma argues, wanting to help Mary Margaret correctly.
"Exerting influence may be exactly what's needed here," he says.
"What's needed here is for me to do my job," she snaps.
"Well, no one's stopping you. I'm only here to help," Gold replies, shrugging.
"Enough. Please go," Mary Margaret says, and Emma smiles, glancing at Mr Gold.
"You heard her," Emma snaps, and Mary Margaret looks at her.
"No, I was talking to you," she corrects, making Emma look at her in shock. "Oh, Emma, he's right. I need help. And you need to do your job, or else I'm screwed. So, just please – do your job the best you can, and you'll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help."
"Trust me. This is in Miss Blanchard's best interests," Mr Gold assures her.
"Good luck, Mary Margaret. I hope your best interests are what he's looking out for," Emma retorts before leaving the two alone in the station.
"I can't pay you," the teacher tells him.
"I didn't ask for money," Mr Gold reminds her.
"Then why are you doing this?" Mary Margaret asks him.
"Let's just say, I'm invested in your future," he replies, smiling.
(BLESSING)
David goes to Archie's office and knocks on the door; he soon answers. "David. What can I do for you?" Archie asks, looking at the man.
"Dr Hopper, I need your help," David tells him, stepping into the office with Dr Hopper following him.
"Okay. What… What is it?" He wonders, sitting at his armchair.
"I've been having these blackouts… And I need to remember what happened during them," Nolan explains, sitting on the couch.
"Why?" Dr Hopper asks.
"I think I might know something that can help Mary Margaret," David replies, dreading the thought.
(BLESSING)
Emma walks upstairs to Mary Margaret's apartment building, where she finds Henry sitting on the steps, waiting for her. "I have proof," Henry announces and holds up the ring of skeleton keys that belong to his mother. "This is how my mum got into your apartment. This is how she framed Miss Blanchard."
"Did you steal these from her office?" Emma asks him, looking at the keys.
"No. Uncle Landon did. The book said they could open any door," he explains, and Emma looks at her boyfriend.
"There's no way they'll even fit in the lock," she argues, examining the keys.
"We have to try," the Mills boy tells her, trying multiple keys to open the door but is unsuccessful.
"See? What did I tell you?" The Sheriff retorts and leans against Landon, who wraps his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Henry. I know you want to think the answer to everything is in Operation Cobra-."
"It is!" Henry argues.
"But, sometimes the real world needs to come first," Emma tells him.
"Just try one more. Please," he begs, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Don't look him in the eyes," Landon warns his girlfriend.
"Okay, one more. But then we're done," Emma agrees, glaring at her boyfriend.
"You do it. This one," he suggests, nudging her over to the door.
"Okay," she agrees, taking the keys from Henry and trying the key he picked out. The door unlocks.
"Do you believe now?" Henry asks, earning a look from Emma, and he smiles bashfully at her.
(BLESSING)
David lies on Archie's couch in his office in a hypnotic state. "Now, David, listen very closely," Archie says. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," David replies.
"Good. Okay, I want you to go back in your memory," he instructs him calmly. "Back to the last time you and Kathryn spoke. The last thing you remember. Tell me – where are you?"
"In my bedroom," Nolan says in a stoic voice.
"When?" Dr Hopper questions, taking notes.
"The night she left," David replies quickly.
"And what were you doing?" Archie asks.
"I called her on her cell," he confesses.
"And what did you talk about?" Dr Hopper wonders.
"She said she realised she needed to start a new life," Nolan says. "Without me. She thought Mary Margaret and I should be together."
"And how did that conversation end?" Archie asks his patient.
"She said she was hurt… But she wanted me to be happy," David replies, his eyes fluttering as he remembers.
"And do you remember anything after that?" He questions.
"Yes. I saw Mary Margaret in the woods," Nolan declares, and Archie leans further from his chair.
"And what was she doing there?" Dr Hopper asks, and David flashes back to when he met Snow White in the Enchanted Forest. Specifically, he thinks he remembers trying to stop Snow from killing 'her'. Archie quickly pulls David out of hypnosis. "David. David?"
"What happened?" David asks, sitting up and looking around as he emerges from his haze.
"I had to wake you up. You went too deep into hypnosis. Something was disturbing you. What did you see?" Archie questions.
"It was…" he says, thinking.
"What? Tell me, David. I can help you. David," Dr Hopper tells him. "David, tell me. What did you see? I can help you."
"No, you can't," Nolan argues, rushing out of Archie's office as he needs to find Mary Margaret.
"David!" Archie shouts after him.
(BLESSING)
The Evil Queen and the Historian ride on horseback through a road in the forest, accompanied by the Queen's knights. They ride past rows of peasants who watch from the side. "Clear the road! Bow your heads before the Queen!" A knight shouts.
On top of a small cliff and hidden by the trees, Snow White follows the Evil Queen, the Historian, and their entourage from a distance. When she gets to the spot Rumpelstiltskin specified earlier, she takes aim. She shoots the arrow, but Prince Charming jumps in the way, being struck in the shoulder. "What do you think you're doing? Why would you do this?" Snow White snaps, glaring at him.
"Well, because… You said you appreciate… Action more than words. So, now… You're going to get both. I love you, Snow," Prince Charming declares, looking at the woman he loves.
"But, I don't love you. I don't even remember you," she argues, angrily waving her arms.
"Well, I don't care," he retorts. "The only thing I care about is that you don't forget who you really are. I would rather die than let you fill your heart with darkness."
"You would really die for me?" The rogue Princess wonders, looking at him.
"Does it look like I'm making this up?" The Prince argues.
"No one's ever done anything like this for me before. No one's ever been willing to die for me," Snow ponders.
"No one you can remember," Prince Charming replies, pulling her into a kill; when they pull away, she looks at him, smiling.
"Charming…" She mutters, looking at him with such love in her eyes.
"Yes. It's me," he replies, and they kiss several more times but are interrupted by the sound of King George's men approaching. "King George's army." Charming covers Snow's face with her hood, trying to keep her out of their eyes.
(BLESSING)
When David enters, Mary Margaret lies on her bed in her cell at the Sheriff's station. "Mary Margaret," David calls her, making her glance up and sitting to see him come rushing into the room.
"David," Mary Margaret replies, smiling, happy to see him.
"Emma said we could have a few minutes alone," he tells her. "I wanted to tell you that Dr. Hopper helped me remember what happened during my blackouts."
"And?" She asks, looking at him.
"Uh, I… I only, um, got pieces of the memory, but…" Nolan replies. "We were in the woods, and I kept saying, 'don't do it'."
"Don't do what?" The teacher wonders, looking at the crazed look in his eyes.
"Don't kill her. That's what I kept saying," David repeats.
"Kathryn? You think you remember me wanting to kill Kathryn?" Mary Margaret asks, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Can you explain why I have that memory?" He wonders, trying to remember everything and figure out what's happening.
"David? Are you asking me if I had something to do with Kathryn's murder?" She snaps, glaring at him.
"The Sheriff found a heart in our spot," Nolan argues. "It was in your jewellery box. The weapon was found in your apartment. And I have these… These memories. So, yes, I'm asking."
"When your phone records came back, when I found you wandering in the woods, when everyone thought you killed Kathryn, I stood by you. I never once doubted you. And, now that everything is pointing to me, you actually think I am capable of that kind of evil? Get. Out," the raven-haired woman demands, and David looks at her but leaves.
A little while later, Mary Margaret makes her bed, trying to calm herself down. Something falls out and clinks on the ground when she tucks in the sheets. The mystery object turns out to be one of Regina's skeleton keys. Mary Margaret picks up the key and looks around before trying it on her cell door, and she can open it. When she hears Emma return, she quickly removes the key and shuts the door. Emma enters with a food bag, smiling. "Hey. Breakfast," Emma announces, trying to give her something.
"Thanks," Mary Margaret replies, taking it.
"I know Mr Gold doesn't want us to talk, but I thought you should hear this from me," she tells her. "The test results came back on the heart… And the DNA was a match for Kathryn. She's dead. I'm sorry – for a lot of things. But, now that we have proof of the death, we have enough evidence to move forward with a case against you. It's going to happen. You know I do believe you, right?"
"Yeah," the raven-haired woman mutters.
"All this evidence tells me one thing for certain – that you are being framed. And I think Regina's behind it," the Sheriff announces.
"Then why am I still in here? Why don't you confront her?" Mary Margaret asks her roommate.
"Because, belief is not proof," Emma argues, though she wants to help her friend.
"But you just said-," she retorts.
" If I don't do this right, things will end up worse for you," the blond woman warns her. "Every time I've gone up against Regina, she's seen it coming, and I've lost."
"So, what makes this time any different?" The teacher wonders.
"Because she doesn't know I suspect anything," Emma assures her, needing Mary Margaret to trust her.
"Why would she do this to me?" Mary Margaret asks, hating being in a cell.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. And I promise, I won't stop until I expose what she's up to," she promises.
"And how are you going to do that? This is her town," the raven-haired woman argues, shaking her head as fear overtakes her.
"I'm working on it. I have faith in you. And now, I need you to have faith in me," the Sheriff tells her, grabbing Mary Margaret's hand on the bar. "Can you do that?"
"Of course," Mary Margaret replies, and Emma walks out, wanting to talk to Mr Gold. Mary Margaret looks down at the key in her hand; she has too many ideas, and none are good.
(BLESSING)
Mr Gold enters the back room of his pawn shop when Emma enters the shop, looking for the man. "Just taking inventory. What can I do for you, Miss Swan?" Mr Gold asks, coming back out. "Any developments in the case I should be aware of?"
"Yes. Regina set her up," Emma declares, though she has no solid evidence.
"And this surprises you? Show me your evidence, and we'll get this over with immediately," he assures her.
"Yeah, that's the thing. There isn't any. Anything that's court-worthy. But I know it now," she replies.
"Look who's suddenly become a woman of faith. Why are you here, Miss Swan? To spin conspiracy theories?" Gold wonders, looking at her.
"I need help," the Sheriff tells him, though she doesn't want to get into a deal with him again.
"From me?" Mr Gold muses, smirking.
"Every time I've gone up against Regina, I've lost. Except for once, when I became Sheriff. When you helped," Emma replies.
"As I recall, you don't exactly approve of my methods," he argues.
"I approve of your results," she retorts, needing to help Mary Margaret. "And this time, I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend."
"And you're willing to go as far as it takes?" Gold wonders.
"Farther," the blond woman announces, making the slimy businessman smirk.
"Now we're talking," Mr Gold replies, grinning. "Fear not, Miss Swan. Regina may be powerful, but something tells me you're more powerful than you know."
(BLESSING)
Mary Margaret's cell is empty at the station, with the door unlocked. Mary Margaret escapes from her cell and flees into the woods, not seeing any other option.
(BLESSING)
Meanwhile, Henry sits on a bench outside the holding cells in the hall, reading his fairy tale book, at the station moments after Mary Margaret's escape. Emma and Mr Gold come into the room and see him. "Henry. What are you doing here?" Emma asks, looking at her son.
"I came to congratulate you," Henry replies, looking up at the adults.
"For what?" She wonders, looking at him and not noticing the empty cell.
"Your genius plan," he retorts, smiling.
"And what plan's that, Henry?" Mr Gold wonders, but Henry doesn't respond. "Right." Mr Gold strolls into the room, leaving Emma and Henry alone in the hall.
"Sorry. I thought Mr Gold was in on it, now that he's Miss Blanchard's lawyer," the Mills boy tells her.
"In on what?" Emma asks him, stepping towards him.
"The escape plan," Henry whispers.
"The what?" She says.
"Sheriff, could you join me, please?" Mr Gold calls from the other room, and they join him and see Mary Margaret's empty cell. "She's gone."
"Henry, what did you do?" The Sheriff demands, looking at her son.
"Nothing. She was gone when I got here," Henry tells them.
"Her arraignment's tomorrow. If she's not there…" Mr Gold warns her.
"She's a fugitive. Doesn't matter if she's convicted for Kathryn or not – she's screwed. I have to go find her before someone notices she's missing," Emma agrees.
"Oh, you mean Regina?" He muses, looking at the Sheriff.
"The arraignment's at eight A.M. I'm sure she'll be here bright and early to celebrate her victory," she assures him.
"Well, you have until eight A.M., then," Gold tells her.
"Uh, what about me? How can I help?" Henry asks, looking at Emma.
"Go home," Emma orders him.
"Emma, if she leaves Storybrooke…" He warns her.
"Not now, Henry. Come on," she tells him, guiding him toward the door.
"Miss Swan, I know time is of the essence, but if Miss Blanchard doesn't return… Her future's in jeopardy. And if you're caught helping her, so is yours," Mr Gold reminds her.
"I don't care. I'd rather lose my job than my friend," the Sheriff argues, looking at him, and he nods before leaving.
(BLESSING)
Emma gets into her car and drives down a deserted road near the woods, trying to find Mary Margaret. In the fog in the distance, a figure is eligible. Unfortunately, Emma doesn't notice quickly and narrowly avoids hitting a man. He jumps out of the way and falls down an incline. She gets out of her car and rushes to his side to assist him. "I'm so sorry!" Emma yells. "Are you okay? I didn't see you there."
"Uh, I think so," Jefferson replies, looking at her as she helps him up to his feet.
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"I'm fine. I'm not used to sharing the road with cars so late. You're the Sheriff, aren't you?" He questions, smiling.
"Yeah," the Sheriff replies.
"What brings you out here in the middle of the night?" The Hatter asks, though he already knows.
"Oh, nothing to worry about. I'm just looking for a lost dog," Emma lies to him.
"Well, I hope you find it," Jefferson says.
"Thank you," she replies, and Jefferson tries walking but has a noticeable limp. "Oh, you are hurt."
"No, I just twisted my ankle, I think. I live just a mile down the road. I'll make it okay," he assures her.
"No, let me drive you. I insist," the blond woman tells him, wanting to help and falling into his trap.
"Thank you. I'm Jefferson," the madman informs her.
"Emma," she replies, and they get into Emma's car.
(BLESSING)
Jefferson runs through the woods, somewhere within the Enchanted Forest, seemingly trying to escape from something. He stops resting by a tree but gets caught by his daughter, Grace. "Papa, I found you," Grace exclaims, beaming.
"You certainly did. You must be part bloodhound, my dear Grace," Jefferson teases his daughter.
"Now it's my turn to hide, and you seek," she offers.
"I'm afraid playtime's over," he tells her. "Though, you can still use that nose of yours to hunt mushrooms. Enough to sell at market tomorrow. Do you think you can do that? Ready or not, here we come." They return to their house, where they find the Evil Queen's carriage parked outside. "Wait." He holds her back.
"Whose carriage is that?" The girl asks, looking at it, not recognising it.
"The Queen's," the Hatter answers, feeling dread as he looks at it.
"In our house? Do you know her?" Grace wonders, beaming.
"Of course not. Now, listen carefully," Jefferson tells her. "Hey. I want you to stay hidden in the woods. Like our game. I'm going to find out what she's doing here." Jefferson carefully enters the house while Grace runs off into the forest.
(BLESSING)
Inside, Landon is waiting for him, alone, needing to talk to him. "I'd like to say you're looking well, Jefferson," Landon remarks, turning to face his old friend, "but I'd be lying. Poverty doesn't suit you."
"What are you doing here, Landon?" Jefferson asks, smiling, glad to see his old friend.
"Regina has a job for you," he informs, moving around the room,
"I don't do that anymore," the Hatter argues, shaking his head.
"Yes, I heard you hung up your hat. Why?" The Historian wonders. "Is it because of your sweet daughter Grace?"
"Because of my work, she lost her mother. I don't want her to lose her father, too," Jefferson reminds him.
"I miss her; she was lovely," Landon muses. "As my sister would say. So, now you're foraging for fungus. What kind of future does your daughter have here with you?" He says in a high voice. Come on, can't you do this one last favour for me, and you can give her the life she deserves."
"That's why I'm staying. You don't abandon family. That's… What she deserves. Now, please leave," he tells his friend.
"All Regina needs is your special skills to get me somewhere. Somewhere you've been before. Do it, and I can change your life," the Historian assures him, handing his friend a piece of paper.
"What business could your sister possibly have there?" The world traveller asks, and Landon cringes.
"Something of hers was taken and found its way over there. She desperately wants it back," Landon explains.
"Then, find someone else to get it," Jefferson snaps, not wanting to leave Grace.
"I see. Hard living has strengthened your resolve," he muses. "Well, I'm sorry I couldn't convince you, but I understand. There's nothing more important than family."
(BLESSING)
Emma and Jefferson pull up to a large house on a hill. The two of them get out, with Emma helping him out. "Wow. This is your house? It looks more like a hotel. You must have a huge family," Emma remarks, looking around.
"Nope. It's just me," Jefferson replies, and Emma sees him struggling to get up the stairs and goes to help him inside.
"Here. Wait," she says, helping him inside.
(BLESSING)
Emma waits in the living room inside the vast mansion when Jefferson comes inside with a tea trap. "Here we go. I thought you might want to warm up for your search. It's cold out there," Jefferson tells her.
"That is kind of you, but I think I should get back to it," Emma argues, taking the cup.
"I know. That's why I brought this. I'm a bit of an amateur cartographer – mapping the area is a hobby. Maybe, this will help you track down your dog," he offers, lying out the map on the coffee table.
"Wow," she mutters, looking at it.
"What's his name?" The mad man asks.
"Spot," the Sheriff replies, thinking on the spot.
"Cute," Jefferson remarks, and Emma looks over the map while she sips her tea, beginning to act drowsy.
"Well, Route Six runs the boundary of the forest, so…" Emma says, slurring her words a little. "So, if I just follow that, I should… Be able to…"
"Is something wrong?" He asks, already knowing what's happening to her.
"I'm just, uh… Feeling a little…" She replies, and Jefferson catches Emma and drags her over to the couch.
"Oh. Let me help you," the Hatter offers, holding her.
"Dizzy," the blond woman announces, her vision spinning.
"Let's just lie you down here. There you go. Let me get you some air," Jefferson tells her, dragging her across the room.
"Your limp…" Emma mutters, noticing his limp is gone.
"Oh. That. I guess you caught me," he says, smirking.
"Who are you?" She asks; everything goes blank for a moment.
(BLESSING)
Jefferson and Grace go out to the outdoor market to sell their wares. They come to an old woman who is selling toys. "The toy cart!" Grace exclaims, running to look at the cute stuffed animals.
"Come," the old woman smiles, and Grace picks up a stuffed rabbit.
"Wouldn't this make the perfect guest for our tea parties, Papa? Can I have him? Please?" She begs, pleading with her father.
"Excuse me. How much for the rabbit?" Jefferson asks, looking at the old woman.
"That costs one silver," the old woman tells him.
"Would you take it for eight coppers? It's all I have," he offers, holding out his money.
"Oh, you are good father. Your last coppers for your little girl's happiness, ah?" she muses, smiling.
"Thank you," the Hatter smiles.
"Oh, I did not say I accept. Alas, I cannot take less than one silver. The economy. You understand," the toy cart owner argues, shaking her head. This almost destroys Jefferson.
"It's okay, Papa. Come on – people are waiting," Grace tells him.
"I will not take no for an answer," Jefferson argues, wanting to get something for his daughter.
"Papa, please. I don't need it," she assures him.
"Come on, sweetie," he says, and the old woman walks away from the crowd and looks into a mirror.
"Well, that was awfully cruel," the mirror muses. "You could at least let the girl have her toy."
"Where's the fun in that?" The Evil Queen remarks as the face of the old woman's face briefly morphs into Regina's.
(BLESSING)
Emma finally wakes up to find herself bound and gagged on the couch at Jefferson's mansion. She looks around and sees that Jefferson is gone. Emma sits up and notices her fallen teacup on the floor. She throws a pillow over the cup to muffle the sound and then breaks it with her feet. She makes herself fall onto the floor, grabs a shard of the broken cup and cuts through her binds. She tries to open one of the windows but discovers that they're all locked. By the windows, there is a telescope pointed at the Sheriff's station. Emma hears a noise coming from the room across the hall and peeks in to see Jefferson sharpening a pair of scissors.
(BLESSING)
At their home, Jefferson finishes making a makeshift stuffed rabbit. He places it on a chair beside Grace, who is having a sweet little tea party. "I know it's not the same as what you wanted," Jefferson says, looking at his daughter.
"I love it, Papa. Thank you," Grace replies, smiling and pretending to pour tea. "Mm. This is really good. Don't you think so, Mr. Tortoise? Papa, do you like your tea?"
"Grace… I want you to go to the neighbours' for the rest of the day. There's work I have to do," he informs her, deciding to take Landon and Regina up on their offer for his daughter.
"Can't I come with you? I like being with you in the forest," she argues, wanting to stay with her father.
"I'm not going to the forest, sweetie," the world traveller tells her.
"This has to do with the Queen's visit, doesn't it? Whatever she wants you to do, don't do it," the sweet girl argues, never knowing who was inside the house.
"Grace, I have to. I want you to have what you need," Jefferson argues.
"All I need is you, Papa. Please, stay," Grace begs him, not wanting to lose another parent.
"Come here. I know. I'm sorry, baby. I have to go," he tells her, not wanting to change his mind.
"Just promise me you'll come back. You have to promise," she argues.
"Of course," the Hatter promises her, though he doesn't know what will happen next, especially with the Evil Queen.
"For our tea party. Promise?" The young girl asks, wanting assurance that he will return to her.
"I promise. I won't miss it for the world. Go," Jefferson tells her, and Grace leaves. He makes sure before opening a locked chest and pulling out a hat box.
(BLESSING)
Emma slowly edges out into the hallway and creeps down the hall but accidentally stops on a creaky floorboard. Panicking, she quickly enters the closest room. Inside, Mary Margaret is gagged and tied to a chair. Emma rushes to her friend and starts to untie her. "What is going on?" Emma asks, taking the gag off.
"Emma, thank God," Mary Margaret gasps, looking at her friend, her heart racing since she found herself tied to the chair.
"What are you doing here?" She wonders, untying the ropes.
"I was in the woods, trying to get away. Then, this man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me. Why are you here?" The raven-haired woman asks, looking at her friend.
"I've been trying to find you. You escaped, remember? How did you get out?" The Sheriff questions.
"There was a key… In my cell, under my pillow. Someone put it there," Mary Margaret explains, shrugging as Emma finishes the first rope.
"Who?" Emma wonders, looking at her roommate.
"I don't know. I'd like to know just as much as you," she argues. Emma finally frees her, and they both head for the door. Emma checks the hall and sees that the coast is clear. They start heading down the hallway but are stopped by Jefferson as he appears before them, blocking their escape, holding a gun.
"I see you found Spot," Jefferson muses, smirking at the women.
"I've already called for backup. They'll be here any second," Emma warns him, lying.
"You haven't called anybody. For the same reason you didn't tell me about her," he argues. "You don't want anybody to know you're here, which means, nobody does. So, now tie her back up." Emma and Mary Margaret head back into the room with Jefferson holding the gun, and Emma ties Mary Margaret back to the chair.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret mutters.
"It's going to be okay," Emma promises her and puts the gag back. "Your telescope – you've been watching me. Why?"
"I need you to do something," he tells her.
(BLESSING)
Jefferson arrives at the Evil Queen's castle, meeting with Regina and Landon. He enters with the hat box, being escorted by several guards. "Jefferson. So good to see you looking more like yourself. I assume you're here because you've reconsidered my offer?" Regina asks, smirking.
"I want your guarantee. That, if I do what you ask, my daughter will want for nothing," Jefferson asks, and Landon looks at his friend.
"You have my word. Now, let's open that box of yours and see what it can do," she assures him, and Jefferson pulls a top hat out of the box."I do so like a man who dresses for the occasion." She admires his outfit as he places the hat on the floor and spins it. It begins to spin on its own.
"Step back," he warns her as the hat forms into a purple vortex. "After you!"
"Together!" The Evil Queen yells, and they link arms.
"Hold on!" The Hatter shouts, and they both jump into the vortex before Landon can move or say anything, and they transport it elsewhere.
"Bring him back, Gina!" Landon shouts before the portal closes.
(BLESSING)
Jefferson brings Emma to another room with several top hats lining the walls. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but if you hurt my friend, I swear I'll make you regret it." Emma threatens him.
"Hurt her? I'm saving her life," Jefferson argues, smiling.
"How do you figure that?" She asks, looking at him.
"Don't play stupid. We both know what happens when people try to leave Storybrooke," he replies, shaking his head.
"What are you talking about?" The Sheriff asks.
"The curse," the Hatter tells her.
"What curse?" Emma asks though she knows about it from what Henry said.
"The one keeping us all trapped. All except you," Jefferson replies, as if it's obvious.
"Have you been reading Henry's book?" She wonders, looking at him as if he's mad.
"Henry? You mean Landon's father?" He asks, thinking of the old man of his best friend.
"Henry, the Mayor's adopted kid," the blond woman tells him, and he nods.
"Oh, Henry. Your Henry. And his book of stories. The ones that you choose to ignore. Maybe, if you knew what I know, you wouldn't," the madman argues.
"Why have you been spying on me?" Emma asks, trying to get some answers from the man holding her captive.
"Because, for the last twenty-eight years, I've been stuck in this house. Day after day, always the same. Until one night, you, in your little yellow bug, roll into town, and the clock ticks, and things start to change. You see… I know what you refuse to acknowledge, Emma. You're special. You brought something precious to Storybrooke – magic," Jefferson explains.
"You're insane," she mutters, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Because I speak the truth?" He asks, looking at her.
"Because you're talking about magic," the Sheriff argues, still not believing in that stuff.
"I'm talking about what I've seen. Perhaps, you're the one that's mad," the Hatter retorts, shrugging.
"Really?" Emma questions, looking at him.
"What's crazier than seeing and not believing? Because that's exactly what you've been doing since you got to our little hamlet. Open your eyes. Look around. Wake up. Isn't it about time?" Jefferson wonders, trying to get her to see what's right in front of her.
"What do you want?" She asks.
"I want you to get it to work," he tells her, sitting Emma in front of a table with sewing supplies and materials.
"You want me to get what to work?" The blond woman asks, looking at him and then the sewing stuff.
"You're the only one that can do this. You're going to get it to work," the madman tells her, gesturing to the hundreds of top hats.
(BLESSING)
Jefferson and the Evil Queen end up inside Jefferson's hat. Several different coloured doors are lining the walls. "I forgot how magnificent you are," Regina muses as she looks around.
"I'm not here to relive the past. I'm here for my daughter," Jefferson argues, pointing toward a door made of glass. "Here – this is the entrance. It's important that we stick together. Same amount of people that go through have to come back. No more, no less. It's the hat's rule, not mine."
"I understand," she replies, already knowing the rules and playing them against him. They enter through the mirrored door and arrive in Wonderland. Along the path, they encounter the Caterpillar.
"Who are you? Who? Who?" The Caterpillar asks, looking at them.
"I hate Wonderland," Jefferson mutters, walking along the path.
(BLESSING)
Emma and Jefferson sit in the sewing room as she looks at everything. "Make one like that," Jefferson tells her, showing the top hat.
"You want me to make a hat? You don't have enough?" Emma asks him, gesturing to the hundreds of top hats in the room.
"Well, none of them work, do they?" He argues. "Or else you wouldn't be here. Now, make a hat, and get it to work."
" I don't-," she says.
"You have magic. You can do it," the Hatter assures her.
"The hats, the tea, your psychotic behaviour… You think you're the Mad Hatter," the Sheriff concludes, thinking he's mad.
"My name's Jefferson," Jefferson argues, hating the name.
"Okay. You've clearly glommed onto my kid Henry's thing. They're just stories. The Mad Hatter is in Alice in Wonderland – a book. A book I actually read," Emma tells him, trying to see some reason.
"Stories. Stories? What's a story? When you were in high school, did you learn about the Civil war?" He asks her, and she looks at him in confusion.
"Yeah, of course," she replies, shrugging.
"How? Did you read about it, perchance, in a book? How is that any less real than any other book?" The madman questions.
"History books are based on history," the blond woman argues.
"And storybooks are based on what? Imagination? Where does that come from? It has to come from somewhere. You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution for their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic. Now, get it to work," Jefferson orders her, having enough of her disbelief.
"Here's the thing, Jefferson – this is it. This is the real world," Emma tells him.
"A real world. How arrogant are you to think yours is the only one?" He retorts. "There are infinite more. You have to open your mind. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands. Each just as real as the last. All have their own rules. Some have magic, some don't. And some need magic. Like this one. And that's where you come in. You and your friend are not leaving here, until you make my hat. Until you get it to work."
"And then what?" She asks.
"Then I go home," the Hatter replies.
(BLESSING)
In Wonderland, Jefferson and the Evil Queen come to a hedge maze. "You want to go in there?" Jefferson asks, looking at the deadly maze.
"What I want is a short walk through," Regina argues, glancing at him.
"A short walk? You know who this belongs to," he retorts, knowing everything about Wonderland.
"The Queen of Hearts. She's not one for subtlety," she muses, thinking of the evil woman.
"This wasn't part of our deal. You know what she does to anyone that crosses her," the Hatter warns her, not wanting to get caught by the Queen of Hearts.
"Indeed. Better than most," the Evil Queen replies, frowning. "I wish my brother was here." She mutters, shaking her head. "You can't leave Wonderland without me. Two go through, two go back. You're not going to let the Queen of Hearts keep you from returning to your daughter, are you?" Jefferson says nothing and begins following after her. "That's what I thought." She heads towards the maze.
"Wait," Jefferson says, picking up a branch from the ground and throwing it towards one of the walls. The hedge grabs the branch and pulls it into the wall. "Stay away from the walls."
"I've got a better idea. The walls should stay away from me," Regina snaps, magically creating a fireball and blasting a path through the maze. They proceed until they reach a vault containing a wall of hearts like the Evil Queen's. She pulls a drawer open and takes out a box.
" Okay? You got what you need. Shall we?" He asks, wanting to get out of there, and they quickly leave but suddenly get ambushed by several of the Queen of Hearts' guards.
"Trespassers! Halt!" The guard shouts, and Jefferson and the Evil Queen begin running through the hedge maze. The guards follow and try to stop them, but the Evil Queen's magic thwarts them. They run back to the burned path, where Regina magically causes the hedges to reform. They end up back at the mirrored door they entered through.
"The Looking Glass! There it is!" The Hatter shouts and sees Regina stopping. "C- What are you doing? We can't stop now. We got to get out of here."
"There's something I need to do first," Regina argues, breaking off a piece of mushroom. "A little snack."
"Are you mad? Do you know what the food here does?" Jefferson warns her.
"I'm well aware," she replies, setting the opened box on the ground and placing the piece of mushroom inside. Purple smoke emerges from the box and materialises into Henry Senior. "Oh, daddy!"
"This is what she took from you? Your father?" He asks, looking at the Evil Queen in shock.
"The Queen of Hearts has always seen me as a threat. So, she wanted some leverage. I got it back," The Evil Queen muses, smiling.
"The Queen's soldiers – we must hurry," Henry Sr warns them.
"You knew only two can go through the hat…" Jefferson says, and it clicks for him. "Which is why you didn't tell me about your father."
"It was the only way to make sure you'd help me," Regina retorts and Jefferson tries to chase after them, but his feet are swallowed by the ground.
"Wait! Wait! Wait, please. My daughter… My Grace… She's… She's waiting for me. I promised her I'd… I'd be home for tea," Jefferson shouts, trying to get to the mirrored door.
"A promise which you now have broken. If you truly cared for your daughter, you never would've left her in the first place. You were right, Jefferson. You don't abandon family," she replies, smirking as she leads her father through the mirrored door.
"No! No…" he shouts, and the Queen of Hearts' men finally catch up to Jefferson. Two of the guards drag him away.
"Take him to the Queen," Knave of Hearts orders, and they pull Jefferson from the ground and lead him away to the castle.
(BLESSING)
The guards drag Jefferson before the Queen of Hearts and several other citizens of Wonderland. Her face is covered by a veil, and she uses a tube to speak through, hiding her identity. "Her Majesty says she knows you're responsible for helping to steal from her," Knave of Hearts repeats after listening to the Queen.
"The Queen, she tricked me-," Jefferson argues.
"That woman's name is Regina. There is only one Queen – the Queen of Hearts," he snaps, defending his Queen.
"Yes, of course. My apologies. Now, please…" he pleads, looking at them.
"Her Majesty wishes to know how you got to this world. How did you come to Wonderland?" The Knight asks, looking at the man.
"If I tell you, will you let me go home to my daughter?" The Hatter requests, wanting to get back to Grace.
"Off with his head," The Queen of Hearts declares, and one of the guards decapitates Jefferson with an axe. However, he doesn't die somehow. Another guard holds up his head.
"I'm alive? I'm alive!" Jefferson questions, looking around and at his body.
"If you wish your body back, then answer. How did you get here?" Knave of Hearts interrogates the stranger.
"The… The… The hat. My hat. We used my hat," he explains, still in shock.
"Where's the hat now?" The Knight wonders, looking at him.
"She took it – Regina," the severed head informs them.
"If all you require to travel to your homeland is this magic hat, then surely, you could make another." Knave of Hearts argues.
"I can't. A hat without magic is just a hat. It won't work," Jefferson tells them.
"Then, there's your task. Get it to work," he orders him, taking Jefferson away.
(BLESSING)
Emma and Jefferson are still in the sewing room. Emma tries making a top hat. "I can't make it work," Emma declares. "What you;re asking me is impossible."
"No! It has to be. If it's not, I'm never going home. I'll be cursed to live in this house forever," Jefferson tells her, hating being so alone.
"What is so cursed about your life? Look at this place. It's beautiful. It doesn't seem cursed to me," she argues, gesturing around the house.
"It's cursed because, like everyone else here, what I love has been ripped from me. Take a look," he tells her, gesturing for Emma to look through a telescope. She moves towards it and looks through to see a little girl and her family eating dinner at home. "Her name is Grace. Here, it's Paige. But it's Grace. My Grace. Do you have any idea what it's like to watch her day in and day out, happy, with a new family? With a new father?"
"You think she's your daughter?" The Sheriff asks, looking at him as if he's mad.
"I don't think – I know. I remember. She has no idea who I am. Our life together, where we come from. I do. That's my curse," the Hatter argues.
"To remember," Emma repeats, looking at him.
"What good is this house, these things, if I can't share them with her?" Jefferson replies, looking sadly at the window.
"If you really think she's your daughter, why don't you reach out to her? Why don't you tell her?" She wonders, looking at him.
"And destroy her reality?" He argues, not wanting to cause his precious daughter harm. "I'm trapped by knowledge. How cruel do you think I am? You think I'd inflict that awareness on my daughter? It's hard enough to live in a land where you don't belong. But knowing it, holding conflicting realities in your head…will drive you mad."
"That's why you want me to make the hat work, isn't it? You just want to take Grace home – to your world," the blond woman realises.
"It's the one world where we can be together… Where she'll remember who I am," the world traveller argues, smiling softly as he thinks of his only child.
"I know what it's like to be separated from your kid," Emma replies, thinking of Henry.
"Yeah, you do, don't you?" Jefferson muses, looking at her.
"It can make you feel like you're losing your mind," she comments.
"I'm not losing my mind. I'm not crazy. This is real," he argues, not wanting to believe that he's already mad.
"Maybe. Maybe, it is," the Sheriff agrees, playing with him and trying to get him to trust her.
"You believe?" The Hatter asks, looking at her.
"If what you say is true, that woman in the other room is my mother," Emma replies. "And I want to believe that more than anything in the world. So, maybe you're right. Maybe, I need to open myself up more. Maybe, if I want magic, I have to start believing."
"So, you're… You're going to help me? You can get it to work?" Jefferson asks, wanting to believe her.
"I can try," she agrees, and when Jefferson turns around, she grabs the telescope and hits him on the head, knocking him unconscious. "Crazy son of a bitch." She takes Jefferson's gun and heads to the room where Mary Margaret is tied up. She ungags her roommate and begins untying her. "Hey. It's alright," Emma whispers. "I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be okay. He can't hurt you anymore."
"Emma! Look out!" Mary Margaret shouts as Jefferson runs into the room and tackles Emma, who then falls into Mary Margaret, causing the three of them to fall on the floor. The gun gets knocked from Emma's hand, and she and Jefferson scramble for it. They fight, trying to get the upper hand from each other, while Mary Margaret tries untying herself from the chair. Jefferson eventually wrestles away the gun and points it at Emma. The scar across his neck is visible.
"Off with his head," Jefferson mutters, and Mary Margaret frees herself and grabs a croquet mallet, which she uses to hit Jefferson. While temporarily distracted from the pain, she kicks him out the window.
"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret asks, helping Emma up.
"Yeah," Emma croaks, carefully getting up, and they look out the window, but Jefferson is gone, and only the hat remains. They quickly head outside, needing to get back to the Sheriff's station. "There's no sign of him anywhere."
"Who was he?" She wonders, looking around nervously as if Jefferson will jump out at any moment.
"A very lonely man," the Sheriff replies, thinking about him. "By the way, have you been taking kickboxing and not telling me about it?"
"I have no idea where that came from," the teacher says, and Emma looks at her. They walk around the side of the house and discover Emma's car under a tarp. "Emma, look." Emma removes the tarp and looks inside to find her keys in the car. "So, Sheriff, I guess you'll be taking me back now." Emma throws the keys to Mary Margaret.
"Here. Go," Emma tells her.
"You want me to run?" She asks, looking at her in surprise.
"No, but it's your choice," the blond woman argues. "Just know something – running ain't easy. I've done my share of it. And once you go, there's no stopping."
"Emma, everyone thinks I killed Kathryn," the teacher argues, hating this.
"Mary Margaret, you have to believe me. You have to trust me. I know it seems impossible, but I can get you out of this," Emma assures her, wanting to help her friend.
"Why is it so important to you what happens to me?" Mary Margaret asks her.
"Because, when Regina framed me, and you bailed me out, I asked you why. And you said you trusted me. And then, when I wanted to leave Storybrooke cause I thought it was best for Henry, you told me I needed to stay because that was the best for him. And I realised, all my life, I have been alone. Walls up. Nobody's ever been there for me – except for you. And I can't lose that. I cannot lose my family," she confesses.
"Family?" The raven-haired woman repeats, looking at her.
"Friends. Whatever. You know what I mean. Wouldn't you rather face this together than alone?" The Sheriff asks her, and Mary Margaret gives the keys back to Emma, and in the distance, the clock chimes. "The arraignment. Regina."
(BLESSING)
Regina and Landon arrive at the Sheriff's station; the Mayor smirks, but it's wiped off her face when they come inside to find Mary Margaret sitting in her cell reading the newspaper. "Madam Mayor," Mary Margaret greets her. "Landon."
"Good morning," Regina replies.
"Hello, Prisoner," Landon jokes, earning a playful glare from Mary Margaret. Mr Gold comes into the room, also a little surprised to see Mary Margaret.
"Excuse me, but my client is not having any visitors," Mr Gold announces, looking at Regina and Landon.
"Of course not," Regina agrees.
"I'll see you out," he says, and they enter the hall, leaving Landon and Mary Margaret.
"So, have fun in your cell?" Landon asks, moving towards the cell bars.
"Oh, tons," Mary Margaret replies sarcastically, wanting to tell him about last night.
"What is she doing here?" Regina demands, glaring at Mr Gold.
"She came back," Mr Gold replies calmly.
"You said this was going to work. That she'd take the key, that she'd go," she argues.
"And she did. But, it seems that Miss Swan is rather more resourceful than we thought. Fear not, Your Majesty. Miss Blanchard is still guilty of murder. You may yet get what you want," he tells her.
"Oh, I better. The only reason I made a deal with you, Gold, is because I wanted results," the Mayor reminds him.
"And results you shall have. See you at the arraignment," Gold replies, stepping away and joining Landon and Mary Margaret. "I believe I said I needed privacy with my client."
"You were busy whispering with my sister, I though I could talk to Mary Mag," Landon retorts, shrugging. "See you later."
(BLESSING)
Henry sits on a bench outside his school when Emma approaches him, wanting to talk to him. "Henry. Well, I found Mary Margaret," Emma informs him.
"How is she?" Henry asks her, looking at her with hope.
"She's okay. Other than being on trial for murder, she's fine," she assures him. A group of kids walk past them.
"Hi, Henry," Paige says, waving, and he waves back.
"Who is that?" The blond woman asks, looking at the girl.
"Her name is Paige. She goes to school with me," Henry replies, shrugging.
"Henry, do you have your storybook with you? Can I see it?" Emma requests, holding her hand out.
"Yeah. Why?" He asks, frowning and grabbing his backpack.
"I'm just curious about something," she tells him, and Henry takes the book out of his backpack and gives it to Emma. She flips to the story about the Mad Hatter.
"What? What is it?" The Mills boy asks, looking at the picture of Jefferson.
"Nothing," the Sheriff replies, closing the book.
"Emma? Emma?" Henry asks, but she ignores him when the bell rings. "I got to go."
"Right. Can I hold on to this?" Emma asks him.
"Absolutely," he agrees, beaming.