Once Upon a Time in Storybrooke - OUAT DR

Chapter 15 - The Inconvenience of Fixing Plot Holes

There had been no word from David or Snow the next morning, no missed messages. Regina must not have checked in. 

I was going to head over to the loft when I noticed David's truck turning the corner, heading toward the Sheriff's station. I decided to head that way and told him of the encounter I had observed between Hook, Regina, and Cora and what I had overheard them say. He asked where Hook was now and I told him I had no clue, but I had a feeling he was trying to get revenge on Gold. I gave him a brief explanation of what drove the pirate's need for vengeance - how Gold hadn't just taken his hand, but his love as well. 

 Snow showed up then, surprised to see me there, and told us that she saw Cora out in the woods looking for the dagger with Regina. We all wondered if Regina was playing us since she hadn't told us about it or checked in. David updated her on what I had seen and overheard, having just concluded that Hook was after Gold, who was with Emma in New York City. If Cora got her hands on the dagger she could force him to do anything or become the Dark One herself, both horrible options if we're being honest, but only if Gold was in Storybrooke.

We couldn't get ahold of Emma, so we were going to have to focus on what we could control at the moment - which was buying time until we could get ahold of them. As long as Gold stayed out of Storybrooke the dagger was useless.

I encouraged Snow to meet with Regina and simply ask her what was going on and she did just that, inviting Regina out to Granny's under the guise of a message from Henry. Regina accepted and once she got there claimed she was still doing the right thing, for Henry. She had chosen the side of good and we should give her the chance to prove it, adding that we should stay out of her way, before leaving. 

Snow and David agreed to look for a way to find the dagger while I went to the docks and tried to see if I could track down our wayward pirate. 

I tried calling Emma, finding the docks empty of any invisible pirate ships, and finally got ahold of her. I warned her Hook may be coming for Gold on his quest for revenge, his ship was no longer in Storybrooke - at least to the best of my knowledge given the ship was invisible. I gave her the same explanation I had to our parents earlier about Hook. As we were talking there was a commotion and I heard the phone drop. It took several panicked seconds longer than I would have liked but she picked up the phone and said my "boyfriend" had shown up and stabbed Gold, before hanging up. 

'He's not my boyfriend, but update me ASAP on what's going on '- I had texted her as soon as the call dropped, not appreciating her boyfriend comment, worried about what was going to come from all this.

I met back up with Snow and David and caught them up on what happened while we'd been on the phone - that our pirate friend had managed to get to New York City, probably on his cloaked pirate ship, found them, and stabbed Gold. They tried to call Emma but it went straight to voicemail, her phone dead. 

While I'd been searching for a pirate ship that was miles away they had gone to Mother Superior - the Blue Fairy - for help and texted Emma about Cora's plan to find the dagger. After radio silence for longer than any of us were comfortable with Emma called - she was able to get Gold to tell her where to find the dagger and lucky for us, it was just down the street.

I told them as we walked toward the clock tower that I didn't think revealing where Gold had hidden the dagger was the smartest plan but they said we had no other option - we had to keep Cora from getting the dagger.

They went up the clock tower to get the dagger, where Gold had hidden it behind one of the hands of the clock, while I stayed outside on the sidewalk, guarding the doors and standing watch. I texted Emma and asked her to bring Hook back with her - David was eager to lock him up - and hoped she got the message. I mean, surely they wouldn't leave him in New York City.

Snow and David hadn't come down with the dagger and it had been long enough that I was starting to worry. I was about to head up the stairs when I heard the sound of glass breaking. I looked up and saw a woman falling from the clock tower. Without thinking I threw my hands out and she stopped in midair - floating amidst the glass debris a few feet from the sidewalk. 

I had caught her with magic, my magic. 

Snow ran down the stairs and was sobbing - she threw her arms around the older lady, who was now standing on her feet bewildered, before embracing me. She asked me how I had done it, and I told her it was magic. David and Snow were both a little surprised but I told them it must run in the family and they accepted that, at least for now. 

Snow explained that Cora had shown up and taken Johanna's heart and used it to make them give up the dagger - it had been where Gold had told Emma. She had done it but Cora threw Johanna from the window anyway before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. We had lost the dagger, and Gold was on his way to Storybrooke.

Snow did introductions - the woman I had saved was Johanna, her handmaiden, and friend of her mother's - and then she introduced me as her daughter. Snow explained that Johanna had helped her through the death of her mother, the anniversary of that day being today, actually, her birthday.

I hugged Snow back, tightly, and told her happy birthday, adding that it wasn't very nice of them to not tell me about my own mother's birthday and that I would have gotten her a gift. Snow beamed and hugged me again, saying I had already given her the greatest gift. The four of us went to Granny's and had dinner - Johanna telling me stories of Snow as she was growing up, excited to meet Snow's daughter at last.  

Snow and Johanna were talking when I got a call from Emma. I left them in the booth and took her call - they were on their way back to Storybrooke, heading to the Jolly Roger now, and had left Hook tied up in the coat closet at Neal's place. 

A pirate, from another realm, left, in New York City.

I went back to the booth and told Snow and David - both not really understanding my concern with leaving Hook behind. I tried to point out that after Greg Mendell, who was still in town, according to Graham earlier that day, and growing magic beans on the other side of town, would they not be more weary of leaving anyone out there who could lead people to Storybrooke? 

They said it was too late now, they were already on their way back to Storybrooke and we were going to have to get the dagger back from Cora before they got there. I stood up and said they would need to get the dagger back, I was going to New York to get Hook.

This, as I'm sure you could imagine, caused a bit of a disagreement between all of us, but at the end of the day I was a grown woman and I could make my own decisions.

Everyone else may be okay with leaving a loose canon behind but I wasn't going to risk Hook doing something stupid that led to a bunch more trouble than we were already presently in, or have him somehow come across some person who could use him against us. Let them all think whatever they wanted about the motives behind why I was going, all that mattered was I got to him before he escaped and let himself loose upon New York City, or worse.

I spent the entire 6-hour car drive to New York City planning the lecture the pirate was going to receive as I drug his ass back to Storybrooke. 

Fucking unthinking bastard.