Regina Mills was sitting across from her son, staring at him as she took a bite from her food, and Henry looked up and watched her as well. They didn't say a word—just silverware clinking onto their plates. Regina smiled at her son until the doorbell rang.
Regina set her silverware down on her plate and looked at Henry. "I don't recall us expecting any company," she said. She got up from the table and walked toward the front door, opened the door, and revealed Emma Swan in front of her. "Sheriff Swan. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Henry invited me," Emma said.
"Do you honestly believe I'd allow you into my house for dinner after all the threats you made to my family?" she asked, eyes leveling to Emma's.
"I didn't come for dinner."
Regina frowned, confused. "Then what did you come for?" she asked.
"You."
Regina gasped and looked over at where Henry was but he disappeared. Then she looked back at Emma, but more people were behind her now. It was Emma, Granny, Ruby, Leroy, David, Mary Margaret, and Dr. Hopper.
"We all did," said Emma with a small smirk.
Regina backed up a few steps and then looked up at the top of the stairs, Henry was standing with a rope over his shoulder.
"Henry!" she breathed out.
Ruby and Dr. Hopper tied Regina up to her favorite apple tree.
Regina grunts. "No. No. Let me go," she said in a panicked voice. "I command it!"
"After everything you've done to all of us?" Ruby said, tightening the rope across her body.
A few more people had gathered around with torches in their hands.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. But my conscience is clear!" said Dr. Hopper.
"You're not queen anymore, sister!" yelled Leroy.
"Tighter!" yelled Granny. "She needs to feel our pain!"
"You took our love and ripped it apart!" yelled Mary Margaret, holding onto David's hand.
"And now you're gonna pay!" yelled David.
Emma walked over to Regina with determination, yanking an apple from the tree, and squeezing the rotten apple. It was oozing out of Emma's hand.
Regina gasped as she watched Emma squeeze the apple.
"Rotten to the core," said Emma, tossing it aside.
"I just wanted to win, for once," said Regina, voice breaking.
Emma stepped closer and placed her hand on Regina's neck, getting close to her face. "You took away our happiness. And now it's our turn to take away yours." She walked away and toward David.
David had gotten a sword and handed it to Emma.
"What?" Regina asked, confused. She gasped and looked at Henry. "Henry!" she leaned forward slightly.
Henry started walking toward Regina.
"Henry, please don't let them do this to me," she pleaded to him.
"You did this to yourself," said Henry. He walked backward, standing next to Mary Margaret and David.
Emma raised the sword and slashed at Regina.
Regina sat up quickly and gasped loudly, her breathing heaved and her heart racing face as she looked around. It had felt so real but she was glad it was just a nightmare. She took a minute to calm down her breathing, she quickly shoved off the covers and walked to Henry's room that was next to hers. She peered into the room and saw that Henry was sleeping and that his nightlight was still on. She was glad that he was safe and sound.
But what she didn't know was that he was with Emma and not in his bed at all.
Regina leaned against the doorframe, sighed in relief, and returned to her room as she tried to sleep after the nightmare.
Henry looked at the window and then looked in the backseat, noticing bags. "Is that all your stuff?" he asked.
"All I need," she said, eyes glued on the road.
"Wait. You wanna go now?" he asked, looking at Emma. "We're leaving now?"
"Uh-huh. I'm getting you out of here. Away from all this. Away from her."
"No, no. Stop the car! You can't leave Storybrooke. You have to break the curse."
"No, I don't. I have to help you," said Emma, urgency in her voice.
"But you're a hero! You can't run! You have to help everybody."
"Henry, I know it's hard for you to see it, but I'm doing what's best for you." She glanced at Henry. "That's what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke."
"But the curse, you're the only chance to bring back the happy endings," said Henry pleadingly.
"Henry..."
Henry looked at the Leaving Storybrooke sign and he reached over and turned the steering wheel.
"Henry!" Emma yelled as the tires screeched loudly and the car went to the other side of the road. "Henry! What are you doing? You could have gotten us killed!" Emma panted out.
"Please, please don't make go," Henry yelled at her. "We can't go! Everything is here. Me, your parents, your family. Please, Emma. They need you. Your family needs you."
"Did you really think that I would let you get away?" King George asked James. "Hmm?" Two guards forced Prince James onto his knees as he looked up at King George, grunting softly as he slightly wiggled in the guards' grips. "It would appear you've had quite the adventure since then."
"Whatever it is you're gonna do to me, get on with it!" James gritted through his teeth.
King George nodded his head once at the guards and they pulled him up to his feet. "I took you in as my son and you betrayed me! I would have given you everything. The crown, the kingdom. All you had to do was marry King Midas' daughter. But you decided to follow true love."
"Losing my life for love?" James asked as he leaned in slightly. "That's a sacrifice I am happy to make."
"As you wish," King George said, not amused by James' words. He nodded his head once more to the guards and they tugged James toward the guillotine that was in the middle of the courtyard, a small crowd had formed and was watching it all. One of the guards pushed James on his knees and placed his head in the small hole.
King George walked over to his chair and sat down on it while he watched. "Release the blade," he said.
James' heart was pounding, he could hear the blood rushing to his ears. He couldn't believe that he was going to die but he was willing to do this for love. He wasn't going to let some King decide who he was going to marry. He didn't love Princess Abigail and she didn't love him.
The executioner stood by the blade and pulled the rope, the blade started coming down but when it was about to chop off James's head, it turned into water, making his head soaked.
"What is the meaning of this?" King George asked while he stood up from his chair.
The crowd looked around and murmured about what had just happened.
Regina came walking in with a guard behind her. "Sorry to drop in on you," she said.
"Regina. What do you want?" King George asked, walking over to her.
"I want the man you pretend is your son. And I'm prepared to pay any riches Midas promised you in return for him."
King George looked over at James and nodded his head toward him. "What do you plan to do to him?" he asked.
"Oh, I promise he'll suffer," said Regina.
The two guards got out of James, pulled him up to his feet, and pulled him toward the two.
"Far more than some swift and simple degrading."
"How?"
"By using him to destroy his one true love." Regina leaned in a bit. "By using him to bring an end to Snow White."
James looked at Regina with sad eyes. This was far worse than a beheading. He wished he could be beheading right now rather than lose the love of his life. He didn't want to hurt Snow. He couldn't do it but he knew that she would be watching his every move and make him and Snow suffer even more.
Regina was looking out her window in the backyard, reliving the nightmare that she had last night. She couldn't get the images out of her head. After a few minutes, she walked outside to find out that the apples from her apple trees; were rotten. She took an apple from the branch and looked at it in disbelief. How can this happen? she thought to herself. She tightened the hold of the apple and a scowl was on her face as she stalked off to get into her car.
She walked into Mr. Gold's pawn shop, the bell rang out in the quiet shop.
"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Mr. Gold asked, unamused in his voice as she walked closer to him.
"My tree is dying. Why?" Regina asked, showing him her rotten apple.
"Perhaps it's your fertilizer." A small smile played on his lips.
"You think this is funny?" Regina asked. "Well, I'll tell you what I think. I think it's a sign of the curse weakening. Because of Emma." Mr. Gold walked a little bit away from Regina from behind the counter to put back one of the items that he had in the glass. "But do you care? No. You're content to sit back and do whatever it is you're doing. While all my hard work burns."
"That's not all, is it?"
Regina looked confused about what he was talking about, her eyebrows knitted together, looking at Mr. Gold.
"Come on. You might as well get everything off your chest." He walked out from behind the counter.
Regina scoffed and threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.
He walked over to the book that was lying on a different counter, he turned to her. "Henry," he said. "Miss Swan wants him."
Regina scoffed again and turned away from him, hands on her hips. "She'll have that boy over my dead body."
"The curse was meant to take away Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. Perhaps you giving up Henry is just the piece to keep the curse unbroken," Mr. Gold explained, walking away from her.
"I think I'd rather just get rid of her."
Mr. Gold exhaled sharply, getting behind another counter. "Well, well. You're gonna have to be quite creative. We both know the repercussions of killing Miss Swan."
"The curse would be broken," Regina and Mr. Gold said in unison.
She walked toward him. "That's because you designed it that way," she said, placing her hands on the counter. "Undo it."
Mr. Gold laughed and walked around the counter and stood in front of her. "You know, even if I wanted to, I couldn't." He started walking away from Regina. "Magic, well, is in short supply around here. And dwindling by the minute." He stood in front of another counter with other items, looking at the items that were on top of the glass.
"You want the curse broken," Regina said in a whisper. "Why?"
"That's not something I care to discuss."
Regina walked over to Mr. Gold. "Don't bother. You can shove your reasons. I want to strike a new deal. One where I can get rid of Emma without shattering the curse."
"Unfortunately for you, a negotiation requires two interested parties. And I'm already planning a trip." He walked around Regina.
Regina turned around. "I'll give you anything," she said.
Mr. Gold stopped and placed a hand on the book, he picked up the pen. "Oh." He turned around to look at Regina. "You no longer have anything I want, dearie. But I will give you a piece of advice, free of charge. I'd plan a trip of your own. Because once people wake up and remember who you are and what you did to them." He chuckled and turned his back to her. "They are gonna be looking for blood." He spun the globe around while Regina stared at him in disbelief and fear in her eyes.
Regina was scared for her life. She had to figure out something before it was too late for her. She needed a plan to get rid of Emma before the curse was fully broken by her. But how?
The school bell rang, and a few kids ran toward the school in a rush so they wouldn't be late for class. A card was placed on a bike's plate with the White Rabbit on it, Regina smirked to herself as she placed her hands in her black suit jacket and walked away.
Mary Margaret was pouring orange juice into a cup while Emma walked in the door and she sighed heavily, closing the door behind her.
"Oh," said Mary Margaret. "I thought you'd left."
Emma set her bag down next to a chair and looked at her. "Mary Margaret…," she breathed out.
"But I couldn't tell for sure because you didn't bother to say goodbye." She didn't look up while she cut the loaf of bread. Then she finally looked up, setting the knife down. "Do you remember when I left, when I ran, what you said to me? You said, 'We have to stick together.' That we're like family."
"Yeah," Emma breathed out, frowning. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left."
"You're right. You shouldn't have." Mary Margaret raised her voice. "So why, after everything, did you just go?"
"I don't wanna be Sheriff. I don't want people replying to me. I don't want this. Any of it."
Mary Margaret shook her head. "What about Henry?" she asked.
Emma didn't say anything for a second, wondering if she should tell her the truth or not. "I took him with me," she admitted.
Mary Margaret crossed her arms and her mouth slightly open. She couldn't believe this. Her friend had abducted the Mayor's kid. "You abducted him?" she asked in disbelief.
"Maybe."
"So you don't want people to rely on you but you took your son? Now, that sounds like a stable home for him." She shook her head. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I want what's best for him," Emma answered.
"And running is what's best for him? Or is that what's best for you? You're reverting, Emma, into the person you were before you got here, and I thought you'd changed."
"You thought wrong," Emma muttered.
"Well, regardless, you have to do what's right for Henry now." Mary Margaret went back to making her food.
Emma's eyes flickered to Mary Margaret. "What's that?" she asked.
"Oh, I don't know." Mary Margaret picked up her mug. "You're his mother. That's your job. So you figure it out." She took a sip of her drink as they both stared at each other.
Emma didn't know how to figure it out. She never had to figure it out. She always ran from situations like these but she also wanted to change her ways to be better for Henry.
Snow White and the seven dwarves, along with Granny were far from the castle, looking through a telescope. They were planning on getting Prince Charming out of the castle without anyone getting caught and getting punished themselves.
"If we're gonna get home out, we're gonna have to get over that wall," said Snow. "There's a soldier on every parapet."
"We're gonna need some air support," said Granny, standing next to Snow.
"Air?" Grumpy said, looking at Granny and holding a bow and arrow in his hands. "I know just the person who can help us. Someone who owes me a favor."
Snow looked at him with a smile then looked across at the castle. Leaves started rustling from the left side and everyone held up a weapon at whatever—or whoever—made that noise.
When Ruby came out of the bushes, she put up her hands. "Don't shoot. It's only me," she said.
"Red, you know, you got someone on your chin," Grumpy said gently.
Ruby rubbed the blood off her chin with the back of her hand. "Sorry," she muttered.
"What were you able to find out?" asked Snow.
"Your Prince is still alive," Ruby answered.
"Then why don't you look happy?" Snow asked.
"Because I also heard word the Queen is here," Ruby answered.
Everyone looked at each other for a moment. Snow sighed and shook her head.
"She knew I'd come for him," Snow said, more to herself than to anyone.
"It's a trap," said Granny.
"Indeed," said Snow. "It matters not. I can't stop now." She turned to everyone. "But I'll understand if any of you wanna turn back."
"No!" they all said.
"Well, then there's no time to waste," said Snow. She looked back at the castle one last time before the small group walked into the forest.
Ruby watched it all, taking it all in.
Snow took a step forward and Ruby stood in front of her.
"Why is the Queen doing this?" asked Ruby.
"I destroyed her happiness," Snow answered. "And now she wants to destroy mine."
Prince Charming has thick chains around his wrist in a cell, he sat down on a large rock and looked out of the cell bars. He noticed that Queen Regina was walking toward the cell with two guards walking behind her, she had a huge grin spread across her lips. Charming sat up straighter.
"Leave us," said Regina, waving her hand at the door, which opened while the two guards left them alone.
"What do you want?" Charming asked, standing up as Regina walked in.
"Hmm. I suppose I see the allure." She was about to touch Charming's chest when he grabbed her wrist. "I wonder if you will be quite so incorruptible after your precious Snow is gone."
Charming let go of Regina's wrist. "Whatever she did to you, leave her alone and take my life instead."
"Oh. Who said anything about taking her life?" Regina asked.
Charming tilted his head slightly and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"Oh, no. I have a far more satisfying brand of punishment for her." She walked away from him, and a smirk came to her lips as she held up a red apple with a grin on her lips and the cell door closed.
Charming realized that Regina was going to poison her, he grunted as he pushed against the door. He couldn't let Regina do that to the love of his life. He needed to stop her but since he was locked away, he couldn't. He needs to find a way to tell Snow what the Queen is doing and what her plan is.
Regina was looking out the window in her backyard, looking at the apple tree that was now dying from the lack of magic in the town of Storybrooke. When she heard the door open and close, a smile played on her lips as Jefferson came walking in with the card that Regina had left on Jefferson's daughter's bike plate. His face was hard and he knew that Regina was up to something and he wanted to know what she wanted.
Regina turned and looked at him. "Jefferson," she said softly.
Jefferson flipped the card between his fingers, not saying anything.
Regina walked toward him with a smile. "So you got my message," she said.
"How could I miss it? You know I watch her," he responded.
"Must be so painful, your daughter Paige being oh-so-near."
"Grace. Her name is Grace." He reminded her, he turned around to face her as she walked past him. "You should know that. You changed it. What do you want?"
"Your help," she simply answered.
"And what makes you think I won't kill you after everything you've done?" he asked.
She looked at him. "Because you don't have it in you," she answered, she went back to pouring a drink. "If you did, you would have done it 28 years ago when I brought you here." She walked toward Jefferson with two drinks in her hands. "Because you know if I'm dead, you'll never get back to your daughter." She stood in front of him. "And I have t a way for us to both get what we want." She tried to him the drink but instead, he put the card in the drink.
She looked at the drink then walked toward her desk, setting the drink on the desk, and walked to grab the reddish hat box behind a leather chair and walked past Jefferson, setting it on the table.
Jefferson watched Regina. His eyes widened when she brought out the box hat, he walked over to it and placed his hand on the box. "My hat," he said to himself. He unlatched the hat box tossed the lid open and took a step back. He took a few more steps back as Regina stood in front of him.
"I want you to use it again," she said.
"I can't make it work," he said in a firm voice. "No one can. Not here. Not without magic."
"Well, then you're in luck because I happen to have some." She paused. "Not a lot," she said, setting her own drink down next to the hat box, "but hopefully enough for one last journey." She took the hat out of the box and turned around to face Jefferson with the hat in her hands.
Jefferson looked down at the hat and looked back up at Regina. "Where?" he asked.
Regina leaned forward a bit. "Back to our land," she answered. "Where there's a solution to a very delicate problem I have. How to get rid of the one person who could break my curse."
"Emma," he breathed out and gave her a brief smile on his lips. "And why shouldn't I let her do just that? End the madness and go home."
Regina scoffed. "To your hovel?" she asked and she chuckled. "Selling fungus at the fair?" She set the hat back in the box. "Why?" She turned back to him. "When you can just stay here in the mansion I gave you."
Jefferson sighed and placed his hands inside his jacket pockets.
Regina placed a hand on Jefferson's chest. "My problem, Jefferson, is the same as yours," she continued. She walked a few feet away from him, her back towards him. "It's family." Then she turned to face him and he was still staring at the hat box. "We both want our children back. And we both can get them. If we work together."
Jefferson looked at her. "Why should I trust you now?" he asked.
"You shouldn't," she answered. "But it's the only offer you've got. After we're through, I'll wake up your dear Grace, so she remembers who you are."
"No," he said quickly. He walked toward her and took his hands out of his pockets. "Remembering is the worst curse." He stood in front of her. "Two lives in her head, like me. I want to forget. I want you to write us a new story. A fresh start, here."
Regina's lips twitched with a smile. "Well, my dear Jefferson, then that's exactly what you'll have." She walked past him then she stopped in her tracks, facing him. "Oh. After we take care of Miss Swan."
Snow White, Red, Granny, and the seven dwarfs were all looking at the castle from afar, ready to defeat the Evil Queen. They all had figured out how to sneak into the castle and they all knew their positions. Now they just had to sit and wait until it was ready to go in and rescue Prince Charming.
Snow looked over at Red with a soft smile. "Thank you, Red," she said softly. "Do it." She demanded to the dwarfs.
One of the dwarfs lifted up a torch and dipped it into the fire and another one had a bow-and-arrow and it was now lit with the fire and he pulled back the bow and released the arrow.
"Move out," said Snow.
All of them moved down the path and toward the castle, putting up their hoods with determination in their eyes.
"I miss Steathly," said Grumpy to himself.
The Blue Fairy, the Red Fairy, and the Yellow Fairy were all hovering far up into the sky seeing the castle in sight, and all three fairies saw the arrow with the fire on the tip, signaling the fairies.
"We're a go," yelled out the Blue Fairy. "Fairies! Attack!"
All the fairies came down from the sky and toward the castle.
While Granny, Doc, and Dopey held three graveling hooks toward the castle wall, all three of them shot up at the wall and attached the hooks as Snow and Grumpy watched them. Granny nodded at Snow and Snow climbed up the rope of the graveling hook. Once she got up and over the castle wall, she looked up and down the walkway, and then a guard came out with a sword and charged toward her with the sword in hand. Snow pulled out a dagger from her side and threw it at the guard, his hands instantly went to the dagger that was in his stomach. The other two dwarfs climbed up the graveling hooks while Snow kicked the guard down to the ground and the other guard came out and pulled out his sword and charged toward Snow while Snow turned around and brought out her own sword. The two swords clashed and Snow kneed him in the stomach and he doubled over. She jumped onto his back and hit him in the head with the butt of her sword, knocking him out.
Another guard came running out and started screaming as he ran toward Snow then Grumpy was behind him, throwing his pick axe in his back as the guard fell down onto the ground. Grumpy started laughing.
They both looked at each other with a smile and Grumpy nodded once at her as she got up on her feet Grumpy yanked the pick axe out of his back and she walked past him, patting his shoulder.
Snow ran into the tower, followed by the seven dwarfs. Snow opened a door and saw the guards, she pushed through the door, her sword in her hand as she and all her friends yelled.
A guard turned around as he pulled his sword out of his hilt, Snow went down on her knees sliding as she sliced the guard's stomach open then she went onto the next guard, blocking his swings with her sword while the seven dwarfs came out of the door, helping Snow. They each took on a guard and after that, they went and helped the others. The villagers ran out of the little squad while the fight broke out between Snow White, the seven dwarfs, and the guards.
Snow knocked out a guard and watched her friends attack the guards with a smile on her lips. She believed that she was going to get Charming out of this palace. She knew that good was going to win this time and she wasn't going to give up on him or what she believed in.
She turned around and hit him in the butt with her sword on his head and he fell to the ground, knocking him out. Once the guards were all knocked out, Snow and the others came into the middle of the quad, she nodded as to continue on with the mission. As soon as they turned around, their faces dropped. More guards came into the quad. Then three more guards woke up and walked up from behind the small group.
They were outnumbered. This wasn't going to be easy for them to fight them all.
They all heard a loud buzzing noise, all of them looked up in the sky, and it was the fairies.
The Blue Fairy glanced over her shoulder and yelled to the other fairies, "Let's go!" She started throwing fairy dust balls at the guards and they instantly fell to the ground and fell asleep.
The dwarfs smiled.
Then the fairies threw another ball of fairy dust at the larger group and they fell asleep as well.
Snow and the dwarfs ran past the guards. Trying to hurry up for the lost time, she wanted to get to Charming before it was too late. She needed to save him before Queen Regina did something terrible to him. She needs to save her true love.
Henry ran to Booth's room and knocked on the door gently.
"Hang on," said August.
Henry knocked again.
August opened the door a little bit and Henry opened the door wider.
"August, please, I need your help," said Henry urgently. He went under August's arm, entering his room. "Emma wants to leave!"
August turned to look at him, closing the door behind him. "What? Slow down."
"You were gonna make her believe. You have to." Henry was getting worried and desperate.
"I know, Henry," said August, feeling defeated. "I'm sorry. I failed."
"Failed?" Henry asked, confused.
August walked slowly toward him. "I tried to show her. First, it was my legs. And now, now take a look…" he rolled up his sleeve, "at the unvarnished truth." He gasped in pain.
Henry's eyes widen. "It's wood," he said.
"Yes."
"All of this? I was right. The curse, it's real."
"You're a smart kid."
"And you're Pinocchio," said Henry, getting excited.
August rolled down his sleeve, grunting in pain. "What gave it away?"
"But why are you turning back to wood?" Henry asked, tilting his head slightly.
August sighed heavily.
"Your story, you should be real."
"I'm changing back because I haven't exactly been a good boy," he admitted to Henry. "And," he got down on his knees, "well, if the curse doesn't break, this doesn't stop."
"So we show Emma that you're turning back into the puppet you were. And then she has to believe! And when she does, she could break the curse."
"I tried that," August said disappointedly. "She doesn't want to see. So she doesn't. There's nothing more that I can do. I'm getting tired." He explained to Henry. "It's hard to ride and it's hard to walk. Soon it's gonna be hard to breathe."
"So we have to do something fast."
"There's nothing to do," August said gently. "And with what little time I have left, I want to spend it with my father."
"Marco."
"Told you you're a smart kid." August smiled, he stood up and he and Henry walked toward the door, August opened it and sighed.
"So everyone's giving up?" Henry asked.
August looked away then looked back at Henry. "I'm afraid that I don't have a choice," he said in defeat. "I'm sorry, kid, but I'm out of Operation Cobra. Now it's up to you." He placed his hand on Henry's back and slightly pushed him out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Henry stood out in the hall, thinking and trying to figure out how to convince Emma to believe in the curse. He just doesn't know how to. He wishes that it was easy to convince her to believe in the curse and the fairytale. He wishes he could find a way.
"Emma, I'm sorry," said Archie. Emma and Archie at Granny's and she was trying to find a way to get Henry from Regina. She will do everything in her power to get Henry away from her. "But I'm afraid you don't have any case for custody."
"Even after everything she's done?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"Which you can't prove."
Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Let me just ask you a question. With this war raging on, who really is getting hurt here?"
"I know. Henry." Emma said a bit loudly. "But isn't it a good thing that he's spending time with me? I'm his mother."
Archie leaned in a bit. "Yes, you are," he said gently. "And so is Regina. And, well, look, the court is gonna come in and look at him and see how he's been since you've come into his life."
"And he's been happier, right?"
Archie was hesitant. "Maybe. But objectively?" He scoffed. "He's skipped school he's stolen a credit card, he's run off, he's endangered himself. Repeatedly. And so, in the eyes of the law, it's not so…"
"What about in your eyes? What do you think?" Emma interrupted him.
He paused. "Well, I mean, a while ago, I told you to engage him in his fantasy life, and perhaps it was wrong. Because he's only retreated further into it."
"You think he's better off with her?" she asked.
"I never said that." He shook his head lightly.
She bowed her head slightly and looked at Archie. "Do you think that she would ever hurt him?" she asked him in a whisper.
"No. Never." He shook his head once more. "I mean, everyone else, but not him. Look, right or wrong, her actions have all been defensive. I'm not judging, but in many ways, your arrival has woken a sleeping dragon."
"Tell me honestly," she rested her elbows on the table and leaned in a bit, "has he been better off since I got here?"
"Oh." Archie furrowed his eyebrows together. "It's not a matter of better off. It's a matter of this war has to end. If you two are gonna be in his life, you have to figure out the best way to do that."
She inhaled deeply as she sat back and thought about what she would have to do about this whole Henry and Regina situation. She knows that all the things Archie is saying are true but she is still willing to fight Regina over the custody battle she also knows that the court will look at the negative side of things more than the positive side. She couldn't let Henry down. She wanted more than anything to have Henry in her life.
She knew the feeling of being lonely her whole life without any parents and she didn't want Henry to feel the same way. Over months she had stayed in Storybrooke, and she grew to care for and love people in this town, especially her son.
Snow found the way to the tunnels where Charming was being held, a smile spread across her face. "Charming!" she said. She ran toward the lantern with the keys in her hands."Charming."
"Snow," he breathed.
She set the lantern down on the ground as she found the key and put it in the keyhole, unlocking the cell door. She set the keys down next to the lantern and came rushing in then stopped when she got closer. "You're… No!" she cried, realizing that Charming was just a reflection and not actually in the jail cell. "Oh, no!"
"The Queen took me to her palace," Charming explained.
Snow started sobbing, her heart breaking even more. "But I'm rescuing you," her voice breaking.
Charming chuckled lightly. "Snow," he whispered, placing his hand against the glass.
Snow placed her hand on his. "Is this always gonna be our life?" she asked. "Taking turns finding each other?"
He let out a low chuckle, few tears went down his cheeks. "We will be together, I know it. Have faith," he whispered.
Then, all of a sudden, Charming disappeared and Queen Regina appeared in front of Snow. She gave an evil cackle at Snow's reaction when she gasped. "I just had to stop you," she said. "I have no interest in cleaning tongue marks off my mirror."
"Let him go," Snow said. "Your fight is with me."
"My thoughts, exactly. Have you ever heard of a parley?" She paused. "We break off all this messy fighting and have a little talk. Just you and me. Come unarmed."
Snow was shaking her head and sighed. "Where do I meet you?" she asked.
"Where it all began," said Regina mysteriously.
Snow was inside the castle, setting down all of her weapons that were on her onto the large, circular table. The seven dwarfs, Granny, and Ruby were all around her. "Stop trying to talk me out of this. The castle is secure. I'm going." She wanted this to end and wanted Charming to be free. She didn't care if all of this was a trap or not but all of this—she wanted all of this to end, once and for all.
"Keep the little knife between your tuffets," said Grumpy.
"I promised I would come alone and unarmed," said Snow, pulling out the little knife that was inside of her vest. "It's a parley. There are rules." She set the little knife on the table.
"You're too noble for your own good," said Ruby.
"I'm not," said Snow, looking Ruby in the eyes. "But enough of you have risked your lives because of something that's between the Queen and me. I will not let anyone else get hurt because of me."
"Except you," said Ruby.
"Thank you for your concern, but this ends today." She turned and took a few steps toward the door but the dwarfs all stood in front of her.
"We can't let you go," said Grumpy.
"I'm not asking. Thank you for your support." She looked around at the people who were standing with her. "I love each and every one of you. But this is something I have to do." She placed her hand on Grumpy's shoulder, looking into his eyes. "Alone." She walked through the dwarves and out of the door.
Red started to follow her but stopped as she and the others watched her leave.
"I don't like this," said Red to the others. "I don't trust that Queen."
Regina and Jefferson were walking down into the cellar the tomb where her dad was buried. "Watch your step," she called to them.
"What is this place?" Jefferson asked.
"Where I've kept the last bit of my magic," she answered.
They entered a large room, where she kept potions and ingredients to make a curse or a potion, just in case something else happened that she needed to do to the people in town. "The only magic in this world is in the things I brought with me." She turned and looked at Jefferson.
Jefferson looked at her for a moment then he took the hat from his hand, bending down, and setting it onto the ground, putting it between him and Regina. He took a step back from the hat and looked at the hat. After a moment, Jefferson sighed and shook his head. "It's not spinning. It's not working," he said.
"It needs to absorb the magic that's here," said Regina.
She walked past the hat and toward the wall with the potions and ingredients that were in the slots. "I have some things left." She took out a small wooden box and turned around. "A few trinkets." She walked over to the hat, bending down, and dropping the trinkets into the hat. She stood up, closed the lid, and put the small box onto the shelf.
They both watched for a moment, but nothing happened.
Jefferson walked toward the hat and picked it up as he looked over at Regina, who was surprised that her magic wasn't working anymore. That was the last bit of magic that she had and she didn't understand why it wasn't working.
"It's not enough. You need something that still works," said Jefferson, looking at Regina.
Regina took out a ring from her jacket pocket, it was a golden ring with her true love's face in the middle—Daniel.
"Who's that?" asked Jefferson.
Regina squinted at the ring before answering. "Someone long gone."
"Well, whatever or whoever it is, it still has magical properties."
Regina looked over at him with a sad expression.
"Give me that and let me see what I can do with it." He held out his hand.
Regina didn't want to give up the only thing Daniel had left for her.
"If you want your son back, if you want your revenge, give it to me."
Jefferson sat the hat back down on the floor while Regina looked at the ring once again before walking toward the hat, she lowered herself and then, dropped the ring into the hat. She stood up and took a few steps away from the hat.
The hat started spinning and purple smoke started coming from the hat. Regina smiled to herself, happy that it was working.
"What's wrong?" asked Regina. "Why isn't it opening a portal?" She looked over at Jefferson.
The hat stopped spinning and the purple smoke retreated, Jefferson walked over to the hat. "The magic. It's not enough. We can't go anywhere." He peered into the hat as he sighed heavily.
"Then you've failed," whispered Regina, taking a step back.
"Maybe not," snapped Jefferson, looking over at her. "There's enough magic to touch the other side, just not to get us there. There might be enough to reach through and retrieve something."
Regina took a step closer to Jefferson and the hat. "I can bring something back?" she asked, kneeling on the ground.
"Is there an object that can help you? Perhaps I can open it enough and reach through and grab it. It would have to be small." He paused. "Something that you can take with your hand. Is there anything like that that can help you?"
She looked ahead with a smile on her lips. "Yes. Yes, I believe there is." She looked at him.
"Then you need to direct me to the time and place where this object exists." He lifted the hat and gave it to Regina.
"How?" she breathed out.
"Think about it." He lowered his eyes. "Guide the hat."
Regina looked into the hat and smirked to herself. She thought of the place, time, and object that she was thinking of. She gently placed the hat back down on the floor then they stood up quickly when the hat came back to life. The hat started spinning with purple smoke coming out and around the hat.
Regina started laughing. She was so delighted that the hat was finally working.
"Excellent," said Jefferson, looking over at Regina with a tight lip. "It appears to be working. What is it we're after?"
Regina didn't answer right away, she looked over at him with a smile on her face. "An apple," she replied.
Queen Regina was in the stable, where all the horses had been, remembering all the good memories she had with Daniel. This was the last good thing that she had left of her true love. She didn't want to let go of this place. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. This was one of her safe-havens.
"Hello, Regina," said Snow White.
Regina opened her eyes and turned around, seeing Snow White at one of the entrances. Snow has her hands up, showing her that she came in peace. "Follow me," she said calmly, pulling her dress up slightly as she walked past her.
Snow watched her then turned around, following her out into the field.
"So you remember when I ran down your runaway horse, Snow?" Regina asked. "Do you remember when I saved your life?"
"Of course," Snow said gently, chuckling. "It all looks the same." She looked around the field.
"Not quite," said Regina. "This is new." She pointed to a large brown grave with a heart in the middle of each side of it.
"Is that…?" Snow started to ask.
"A grave," Regina finished for her.
Snow glanced at Regina.
"Daniel's grave," she whispered.
"Daniel. But I thought…," Snow started to say, confused.
"He ran away?" Raising an eyebrow at her. "I told you that to spare your feelings. Out of kindness. But he died because of you." She looked over at Snow.
Snow looked back at the grave, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm—I'm sorry," she stuttered.
"I'm sorry, too. But nothing can change what happened. What you did. You promised to keep my secret." She took a step closer to Snow. "You promised, but you lied."
"I was very young, and your mother…" She started to say.
"She ripped his heart out. Because of you." She interrupted the other. "Because you couldn't listen to me."
"You took my father. Haven't we both suffered enough?" she asked.
"No."
Snow sighed heavily, shaking her head.
Regina took her little coin purse out, rummaging through it.
"What is that?" Snow asked.
"It's just a morsel," Regina answered, pulling a red apple out. "Did you know that apples stand for health and wisdom?" She held it up a little higher while she looked at Snow.
"So why do I get the feeling that one might kill me?" asked Snow.
"It won't kill you. No, what it will do is far worse." She leaned in. "Your body will be your tomb and you'll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets."
"And you're going to force me to eat it."
Regina chuckled. "No. Of course not. It wouldn't work anyway. The choice is yours. It must be taken willingly."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because if you refuse the apple, your Prince, your Charming, will be killed." She smiled evilly.
"No," Snow's voice cracked.
"As I said, the choice is yours."
"I take that apple and he lives?" she asked. "That's the deal you want to make?"
"With all my heart."
Snow took the apple out of Regina's hand. "Then congratulations. You've won." She took a big bite of the apple and chewed.
A smile came to Regina's lips and chuckled evilly.
Prince Charming is still in the jail cell and he groans in pain.
Snow gasped. She could feel the magic apple working. She clasped onto the grass.
Regina watched as her smile grew.
Prince Charming placed a hand over his heart, grunting in pain. "Snow!" He grunted out loud, getting onto his feet, and pressing his body against the bars. "What have you done to her?" he screamed out. "What have you done? Snow!"
The apple fell out of Snow's hand and down the small hill and into the small portal and came through the hat and into Regina's hand in Storybrooke.
Regina gasped softly.
"Is this it?" he asked, looking over at her.
"Yes," she breathed out, taking it out of his hand, and looking at it with admiration. "Yes, it is."
"And my daughter? My grace?" he asked.
"First things first." She looked up at him. "The deal's not done. Not until I solve the next conundrum. How to get the savior to taste my forbidden fruit?"
Regina was in the kitchen of her home, cutting up the apple on a cutting board, dumping the slices into a clear, glass bowl, and putting sugar on top of them. Then she put the apples into a pot with caramel sauce, she stirred it with a wooden spoon. She cracked the eggs into a bowl and whisked it, she laid some flour on her countertop and rolled the dough onto the counter. She put the sliced apples into the dough and put it in half then placed it on the metal pan with a sheet on it, putting it into the oven, closing the oven door.
Emma slowly walked toward Regina's door, taking a deep breath as she pressed the doorbell.
Regina paused then took off her apron and set it on the counter, fixed her hair, and walked toward the door, opening it.
"We need to talk," said Emma.
"Yes, I imagine we do. I was just about to call you. Come right in." She stepped aside for Emma to come in.
Emma walked right past Regina as she closed the door behind them.
"Do what you're so skilled at and make yourself at him," said Regina with a smile.
Emma stopped in front of a doorway as Regina came up to face her.
"I believe you came to see me."
"Right. Look, this isn't easy." Emma took a deep breath. "I think that this… Whatever is between us needs to end."
"At last, something we can agree on," said Regina.
"I want to make a deal with you about Henry."
A small smile came to her lips, shaking her head. "I'm not making any deals with you."
"I'm leaving town," said Emma abruptly.
"What?" breathed Regina.
"This, what we're doing is a problem. And I am gonna go. But I have conditions. I still get to see Henry. I get to visit and spend time. Whatever."
"And you get to see him, you're still in his life?" asked Regina, crossing her arms.
"Look, in any deal both parties are a little unhappy. But let's be honest, we both know the world where I'm not in his life no longer exists. And there's no one who can do anything about that," Emma explained.
The timer on the oven started beeping. Regina smiled and nodded. "You're right," Regina said. "Would you mind following me for a moment?"
Emma nodded and followed Regina into the kitchen, turning off the oven and pulling the treat out of the oven with a kitchen towel. She set the pan on the counter.
"So what are you proposing?" asked Regina.
"I don't know. Just figure it out as we go," answered Emma.
Regina turned to look at Emma and sighed softly. "But he's my son." She pointed to herself.
Emma looked at her for a good solid minute before answering. "Yeah." She turned and took a few steps and was about to walk away from her.
"Oh, Miss Swan?"
Emma turned back and walked back into the kitchen.
Regina turned and grabbed a tupperware from one of the cabinets, set it on the counter, and opened the lip. "Maybe a little something for the road?" she asked.
"Thanks," Emma muttered, watching Regina put the treat in the tupperware, and put the lid on it.
"If we're going to be in each other's lives, it's time we start being cordial." She smiled over at Emma. "My famous turnovers. Old recipe, but delicious." She grabbed it and walked over to her, handing it to Emma with a smile.
Emma looked at her for a few seconds, wondering if she was up to something or not, her mind was going a million miles an hour. Regina's smile faded for a second. Emma looked down at the turnover and smiled, taking the tupperware. "Thank you," she said kindly.
"I do hope you like apples," said Regina, nodding and smiling.
Emma smiled and walked out of the kitchen with the apple turnover in her hands while Regina smiled and watched her leave the kitchen. Hoping and praying that Emma would eat it. Hoping and praying that her plan would work this time around.
Red started sniffing in the air, she was getting Snow's scent, and she followed the scent into the horse's stable, and turned to face Granny. "Snow was here. I can smell it." She continued in the direction of Snow's scent.
Granny looking around the stable, yelled out, "Snow! Snow!"
"She's over here!" yelled Grumpy.
Red and Granny ran over to Grumpy and the other dwarfs, Grumpy kneeled on one knee and placed a hand on Snow's arm while the dwarfs gathered around them.
When Red and Granny arrived, Grumpy looked at them. "I found her lying here like this. Is she…?" He got on his feet and backed up from Snow.
"Granny, give me your dagger," said Red, holding her hand out.
Granny gave her the dagger and put it in her hand.
Red knelt down on the ground next to Snow, putting the dagger next to Snow's nose, to see if she was breathing or not.
"Maybe she's just sleeping," said Sleepy, hoping that was the case.
"She has no breath," said Red, voice breaking. "She's gone." The dwarfs took off their beanies. "She sacrificed herself, for true love."
"She sacrificed herself for all of us," said Grumpy.
Regina sat in front of her vanity in her bedroom, looking into the mirror with a cruel smile on her lips. "It would appear sacrifice is overrated," she said, chuckling to herself. "Speaking of…" She held up her hand and swished the scene to Prince Charming in the jail cell.
"Snow!" he yelled. "What have you done to her? What have you done?"
Regina smiled to herself, happy that her plan was working. Just how she wanted it. She was her happiest yet. This was perfect.
Regina came to Mr. Gold's shop and stood a few feet from Mr. Gold himself. "I hope you bought travel insurance," said Regina. She started walking toward him with a smile on her lips. "Because no one's going anywhere."
"Oh. Really?" Mr. Gold asked, raising an eyebrow while he did his paperwork. "And why is that?"
She placed her hands on the counter. "Because I found a solution to my Emma Swan problem," she said as she continued to smile.
"Oh, yes?"
"An old, reliable solution."
Mr. Gold stopped what he was doing, his eyes shifted to look at Regina then setting the pen down on the counter. "A sleeping curse," he finally said. "Might I ask how you managed to obtain one here in Storybrooke?"
"By sacrificing the last bit of magic I had left," she answered.
"So you made magic from magic? Well, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that all magic comes with a price."
Regina leaned across the counter. "Then you can pay it," she said softly. "Because now the curse is gonna be stronger than ever. And you will be right here where you belong."
Mr. Gold walked to a different counter, ignoring her.
Regina watched him as he walked away from her, she frowned. "Don't you understand? I won." She followed him to the counter. "So whatever plan you had, whatever reason you wanted the curse broken, too bad. Because it's never going to happen." She placed two fingers on the globe and spun it, walking out of Mr. Gold's shop.
Emma placed the apple turnover on the plate on the island but she was upstairs, jacket in hand when she came down. She heard knocking on the door, she walked over to the door and opened it.
"Hey, Emma. Everything okay? You sounded strange over the walkie," said Henry, walking into the apartment.
Emma closed the door. "Oh, um… I'm okay," said Emma. She stood in front of Henry, setting her jacket down on her suitcase, which was next to the table. "Just…" she sighed. "Yesterday when I tried to take you away, you were right. I can't take you out of Storybrooke." She paused, wondering how he was going to take it. "But I can't stay either."
"What?" breathed Henry.
"I have to go."
"Go… You mean, leave Storybrooke?"
"Yeah. I spoke to Regina. We made a deal. I'm still gonna be able to see you, just not every day," she explained quickly.
"No! No! You can't trust her," yelled Henry.
"I have to. It's my only choice. It's what's best for you, Henry. Every time I fight her, someone else gets hurt."
"No, no, no. You're just scared," he said, trying to reason with her. "This happens to all heroes. It's just the low moment before you fight back."
Emma knelt down to Henry's level, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Henry, this isn't a story," she said, trying to get it through that this isn't a fairytale but real life. "This is reality. And things have to change. You can't skip school, you can't run away and you can't believe in curses."
Henry didn't say anything for a moment. "You really don't believe?" he asked softly.
Emma teared up. "This is how it has to be right now," said Emma, her voice breaking. "I made a deal. And I used my super power. She's telling the truth. She's gonna take really good care of you." Tears came out of the corner of her eyes, slipping down her cheeks.
"Yes. But she wants you dead," said Henry, trying to get through to her.
"Come on, Henry!" Emma raised her voice.
"You're the only one that can stop her."
She stood up and crossed her arms. "Stop her from what?" she asked. "All she's ever done is fight for you. It just got out of hand. I'm sorry."
Henry crashed into her and hugged her tightly and she hugged him back just as tightly. He opened his eyes and looked over at the counter, seeing the apple turnover. "Where did you get that?" he asked, walking over the food.
"Regina gave it to me," answered Emma, walking with him.
He bent down and smelled the food. "Apple!" he said.
"So?"
"You can't eat that. It's poison," he explained.
"What?"
"Don't you see? The deal, it was all a trick. To get you to eat that." He pointed to the apple turnover. "To get rid of the savior."
"Henry, come on. Why would she do that when I just told her I was gonna go?"
"Because as long as you're alive, you're a threat to the curse."
"Henry, you've gotta stop thinking like this."
"But it's the truth," yelled Henry. "And your leaving isn't gonna change that."
"I'll prove it to you," said Emma, reaching for it.
"No!" He reached for it as well.
"Henry, what are you doing?" She asked.
Henry snatched it from Emma and ran into the middle of the room. "I'm sorry it had to come to this," he said. "You may not believe in the curse. Or in me. But I believe in you." He lifted the apple turnover to his mouth and took a bite in the middle, chewing it and swallowing it down.
After a moment, nothing had happened. Emma smiled a little. "See? You wanna have some ice cream with that?" she asked. "And then we can go back to talking about…"
Henry slowly swayed and then he fell to the floor, dropping the apple turnover on the floor.
"Henry?" She whispered. "Henry? Henry?" She yelled at him, getting more and more panicked in her voice.
At first, Emma thought he was just messing with her but she knew that he wouldn't do that to her, especially when she was about to leave. Tears came crashing down, her heart breaking into a million pieces, and she saw him laying down on the apartment floor.