Narrated by Kaylee
Neal was introduced to the town, and Mr. Gold and Belle decided to take him on a tour around it as Snow, David, Aubrey, and I met up for lunch. Then suddenly and unexpectedly, Hook stormed in, startling the customers. "Where's the bloody crocodile? I know he's back!"
"Hook?" Aubrey and I both exclaimed, astonished. "How are you here... it's impossible!"
Hook turned his gaze onto us and said, "Long time no see, Mates. It's good to see you two again."
"You know this guy?" David questioned. "Who is he after?"
"We met him in Neverland," I replied. "He is after Mr. Gold."
"I don't remember ever seeing you before," David said to him.
"Because I just stepped foot here a day ago," Hook replied. "You see, I was not taken by the curse. Now let me introduce myself, Killian Jones, or as others call me, Captain Hook."
"First of all, do you mind telling us how you got here?" David questioned. "It makes no sense because right now we are in a massive alteration of the existing timeline referred to as a time aberration. And how did you manage not to get swept up by the curse with the rest of us?"
"First of all, Mate, I did not come alone," Hook began. "I came along with Regina's mother, Cora. We used a genie lamp to get here. And I was too far out at sea for the curse to hit me. That's all to the story. And what the bloody hell do you mean by a time aberration? Fill me in."
Aubrey turned to me, her expression glowing with excitement. "The genie lamp is here!" she exclaimed. "That resolves everything!"
"So that means that the Enchanted Forest has not been affected by this time aberration," said Snow. She turned to David hopefully. "David, you know what this means, we can finally go back home to the Enchanted Forest with the genie lamp."
"I guess so," David replied, diving in for a kiss. "I told you that everything would work out because we never let go of hope." David then turned back to the confused pirate and explained the whole aberration situation.
"Why is Cora here?" Snow asked. "What does she want?"
Or the Queen of Hearts, I thought to myself.
"She is here to pay her daughter a visit just as I'm here for my revenge on Rumpelstiltskin," Hook explained. "Now do you mind telling me where the bloody crocodile is?"
"Woah, take it easy, Hook," said David. "You are attempting not only an impossible task, but I cannot encourage a dark deed by telling you where he is."
"You have no idea what that crocodile did to me!" exclaimed Hook bitterly. "He deserves to pay, and if you aren't going to tell me where he is, then I will find him myself." Hook gritted his teeth with anger.
"He cannot be killed, for he is immortal, so give your thirst for revenge up," David said.
"He may be immortal, but I found a way for him to die—Dreamshade, an incurable poison that will kill him," Hook replied. "All I would have to do is coat my hook with the poison and bury it into that bloody crocodile's chest, then it should do the rest. I cannot rest until I get my revenge."
"What did he do to you?" David asked. "It must had been bad."
"He killed my love right in front of my eyes," Hook responded with an emotional voice. "Now I'm going to kill him in return."
I stared at Aubrey grimly. We must warn Mr. Gold, I thought to myself.
Mr. Gold, Belle, and Neal were in Mr. Gold's shop. Suddenly, Hook stormed in. When sighting Mr. Gold, he ran toward him, roaring in rage, but Neal jumped in front of Hook and tackled him. "I need my revenge!" Hook growled, trying to fight Neal's grasp. Mr. Gold ordered Belle to go into the back room, and she promptly obeyed.
"Hook, stop this," Neal said, resisting him. "He may have done horrible things to you, but he is still my father."
Hook immediately stopped fighting Neal's grasp, then Neal released him. "Baelfire, is that really you, Mate?" he asked with surprise. "You've grown up. It's been too long. Last time I saw you, you were just a frightened lad nearly drowned in the Neverland Sea."
"You haven't aged a day," Neal replied. "It's good to see you, Hook, but I won't allow you to get revenge on my father."
"He abandoned you to keep his power, the thing that was too much to give up for you as I remember you telling me," Hook replied angerly. "Despite it all, you forgive this coward who was never a father to you?" Hook questioned, eyeing Mr. Gold with hatred.
"I'm sorry, Bae, but I have to," Mr. Gold said, starting to levitate and choke Hook with his magic. "And sorry to break it to you, Pirate, but I cannot die."
"I found a way," Hook rasped.
"And what might that be, Deary?" Mr. Gold asked.
"Dreamshade," Hook returned, "a poison I picked up from Neverland."
"Well, looks like I get to kill you first," Mr. Gold replied.
"I'm sure you didn't tell your son one important detail," Hook rasped. "Baelfire, your father killed your own mother in front of my eyes."
Neal looked horrified then turned to Mr. Gold. "Is this true, Papa? So, this whole time you lied to me how she died?"
Mr. Gold nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Bae, I couldn't let you know the truth."
"Now you see your father's true darkness, the crocodile he is," Hook said.
"Let him go, Papa," demanded Neal.
"I'm sorry, but the pirate has to die," Mr. Gold responded.
"For revealing the truth to your son?" Hook said hoarsely.
"Let him go!" Neal demanded angerly. "Show me that you are no longer the man everyone knew you to be."
Mr. Gold let the pirate go, and Hook gasped for air and coughed violently. "Now get out, Pirate," Mr. Gold demanded. "Think it your lucky day that I am kind enough to spare you. Now go away far from here and never come back."
"I will kill you, Crocodile, just not today!" Hook exclaimed, leaving the shop.
Mr. Gold then turned to Neal. "I'm sorry for lying to you about your mother, Bae. I regret what I did very much."
"More lies," Neal responded with a snort. "How many other lies have you kept from me?"
"Nothing else, that's all, I promise," Mr. Gold returned. "Please believe me, Bae."
"I'm sorry, I need air to digest this," Neal said solemnly, turning around.
"Bae, wait," Mr. Gold pleaded. "I'm sorry."
Suddenly, Belle stepped out of the room. "I heard everything," she said solemnly. "Rumple, please tell me that wasn't true that you killed your wife."
"I'm afraid it is true," he sadly responded. "It's a mistake I am too ashamed to speak of."
"But you have changed, Rumple," Belle replied, taking his hands in her own and gazing into his eyes with love. "It was in the past. I see a changed man now, a man behind the beast."
"Oh, Belle, you have always seen the good in me none other has seen," he said, hugging her. "You never give up on me. I thought I was never capable of love until you came into my life and saw the best in me. I am changed because of you, Belle."
"I just had to let you see the good I saw in you," Belle replied, kissing him.
"Now my son hates me," Mr. Gold said sadly. "I'm going to lose him again."
"Give him time," Belle replied. "It's a lot to take in. You may be a man of many past mistakes, Rumple, but you have a chance to prove to your son that you are no longer that man you once were."
Mr. Gold's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Belle; I needed to hear that."
"Anyway," Belle changed the subject, "now, I am confused, but how is Hook in Storybrooke if this time is messed up?" Belle asked. "I've never seen him here before, so I assume he just arrived here."
Suddenly, Aubrey and I burst in. "Mr. Gold, Hook is here for revenge!" I exclaimed.
"I was aware of that, Deary; he's gone now." Mr. Gold replied.
"You didn't kill him, did you?" I asked nervously.
"No need to fear, Deary; all I did was give him a friendly piece of advice to leave and never come back," Mr. Gold replied. "I spared that pirate even if I could have easily killed him."
"Since Cora and Hook are here, does that mean the Enchanted Forest wasn't affected by this time aberration?" I asked.
"I can only conclude time runs differently in each dimension, likewise, a time aberration in one dimension cannot affect another dimension," Mr. Gold returned.
Regina and Cora made up, and Regina told her that Zelena was in Storybrooke, so Cora decided to go find her. Cora entered the diner and slowly approached Zelena's table. Zelena looked up from reading. "What do you want?" she questioned.
"You don't know who I am, do you," Cora replied.
"No, who are you?" Zelena asked.
"I'm your mother," Cora replied. "And I have finally found you."
Zelena looked shocked. "And now you finally come and find your abandoned daughter?" she said angerly. "Well guess what, I don't want to see you. You were never a mother to me! You never wanted me but kept my sister!"
"I understand that you don't want to see me," Cora said with much emotion. "I just wanted to see you and tell you that I'm so sorry for abandoning you. There's not a day that goes by that I do not regret my decision. I wish I kept you and was the mother I should have been. I want to make it up to you, and we can finally be a whole family."
Zelena looked emotional and replied, "Why did you abandon me and keep my sister? You could have kept me. I had to grow up alone and miserable while my sister got everything. I don't believe that you are truly sorry, otherwise, you would have tried to find me sooner."
"Give me a chance, Zelena," Cora begged. "I love you."
"Well guess what, it's a little late for that," Zelena responded with a scowl. "You will never love me the same way you loved Regina!" She then disappeared in a magic cloud.
"She hates me," Cora muttered to herself. "I failed as a mother. I will do everything in my power to make it up to Zelena and show her that I can be the mother she deserves."
Later that day, Zelena opened the door with a dramatic entrance. "Out of my way, munchkins," she said, impatiently pushing Happy and Dopey out of the way, and they spilled their coffees and donuts. This time her skin was pure green. She demanded green tea then turned to Regina who sat at the counter, drinking coffee, and said to her, "I will take everything from you. This time I shall rule this town."
"Bring it, Greeny," Regina challenged. "I can be sure things didn't go well with our mother. That certainly explains your skin. You're green with envy. Now suddenly you want to make up for the life you never had by attempting to overtake this town, becoming mayor. Only in your dreams, Sis."
"I will win!" Zelena retorted.
"Good luck with that," Regina responded with a roll of her eyes.
Neal soon returned to the shop, and Mr. Gold looked up. "Bae, you came back," he said, approaching him. "I'm sorry for lying to you. I promise to never lie to you again. I want to prove to you that I have really changed, that I can be the father you deserve."
"I know, and I forgive you, Papa," Neal replied.
"Oh, Bae," Mr. Gold said through tears as he embraced him. "I love you, Son."
"I love you too, Papa," he returned.
Mr. Gold then turned around and took something from a safe. "To prove to you, Son, that I can be trusted and that power is not everything to me, I want to entrust you with my dagger," he said, handing it to him.
"Thank you, Papa," Neal replied. "Thank you for proving to me that you are changing."
Suddenly, the dagger disappeared out of Neal's hand. "I'll take that," a familiar voice said.
"Zelena," Mr. Gold said, gritting his teeth with anger.
"Now you're my new pet, Dark One, and you will do everything I say," Zelena said, laughing scornfully.
"Give it back!" Neal demanded.
"Who are you?" questioned Zelena.
"I'm his son," he replied sternly.
"I didn't know the Dark One had a son," Zelena returned. "You ask for his dagger to be returned, the very thing that turned him into the Dark One?"
"Only to prevent you from using it to your advantage," Neal replied.
"Well, looks like no one, not even you can stop me, for I control your dear papa now," she taunted.
"You won't get away with this, Zelena!" Mr. Gold roared angerly. "I will get my dagger back; I promise you that!"
Narrated by Aubrey (continued)
That evening, Cora snuck into her daughter's work office to go seek the genie lamp she knew her daughter had hidden in the desk drawer. After she unlocked the drawer and took the lamp out from it, she thought to herself, I cannot let my daughter wish for everyone to go back to the Enchanted Forest which she told me she's thinking about doing just so she can finally do the right thing. If she sends us all back, then I know my two daughters will separate from me, and then we won't ever be together if that happens. I need more time in Storybrooke so I can be with them, and this is my opportunity to show them how much I love them, and hopefully soon I can earn their love in return, then we can become a real family again. I will have no choice but to lie to Regina and make her think that someone else stole the lamp. This is the only way we will all finally be happy. Cora then disappeared with the lamp and appeared on a dock by the bay. After she placed the lamp inside a small chest, she dropped the chest into the water. I'm sorry, Regina, but this is what is best.
The next morning, Regina approached her mother and said crossly, "Mother, I know you took the lamp because only you knew where it was, so please give it back."
"What? The lamp is gone?" Cora replied, trying to sound surprised. "Oh, Darling, I never took it; someone else must had stolen it," she lied.
"Don't act oblivious, Mother," Regina retorted suspiciously. "I know you stole it."
"I'm sorry, Dear, but it wasn't me," Cora objected, laying a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "But I promise you I will help you figure out who stole it."
Regina backed away and replied coolly, still skeptical whether to believe her mother or not, "Then if it wasn't you, then the question is who? Someone must had been spying, and if this is the case, whoever took it will pay," Regina added angrily. "Let's just hope they didn't leave Storybrooke with the lamp. If I never get it back, the town will turn on me since they will think I'm forcing them to stay here since I won't be able to use the lamp to take them all back to the Enchanted Forest. Sending them all back would have given me the opportunity to show them I'm changing. I want to do something right for a start, but now I can't! I don't want to be thought as the Evil Queen any longer, and that dark path I had chosen for a long time has only brought me misery and unhappiness. There are people here who believe that I can change and finally find true happiness. They gave me a second chance for those reasons, and all they have shown me is love, something I didn't deserve. It changed a piece of my dark heart and gave me hope, something I have not felt in a long time. I owe them, but now if I tell them the lamp was stolen, they may think I'm lying or betraying them. I'm already on a good start, but once they find out, my second chance for redemption may be in vain, and my chance for happiness will be gone."
"Oh, my dear, Regina," replied Cora with sympathy. "I assure you that you will get your happiness, and nothing is going to stand in the way of it. I promise you." Then Cora hugged her sobbing daughter, trying to comfort her.
Late that night, Mr. Gold went to the Sheriff's station where Jefferson was still locked up. Once he turned on the lights, Jefferson woke up. "Well, well, well," said Jefferson as Mr. Gold approached his cell. "Why if it's not the Dark One," he added in a taunting tone. "What brings you here this late at night? You disturbed my sleep. I was having a good dream."
"Hello, Jefferson," Mr. Gold replied. "I am here to make a proposition with you."
"And what may that be?" Jefferson replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I need you to help me steal my dagger back by playing Zelena who happens to have it with her," said Mr. Gold. "You will just need to seduce her by flattery then invite her over for a tea party and put sedatives into her tea."
"And what do I get out of it?" questioned Jefferson.
"This," Mr. Gold replied, suddenly appearing a top hat into his hand.
"How did you get that?" Jefferson demanded with great surprise. "That's mine!"
"Oh, it was just in my shop collecting dust," returned Mr. Gold. "I figured it belonged to you, but I see it needs a bit of mending."
"You know it can open a portal, don't you?" Jefferson said.
"Indeed," Mr. Gold replied. "With this, you can finally return to the Enchanted Forest to be reunited with your daughter. If you first succeed by getting my dagger back, then I will give you this hat. But if you don't succeed, you will never see your daughter. Do we have ourselves a deal?"
Jefferson mused for a moment then skeptically replied, "How do I know if I do succeed and bring your dagger back to you, you will keep your side of the deal, Dark One?"
"Oh, I never break deals, Deary, so you're just going to have to trust me if you desire to see your daughter again," Mr. Gold responded.
"But once I'm out of jail, I will be captured again," Jefferson added coolly.
"I assure you I won't let that happen," Mr. Gold replied.
"I will only make this deal if you also promise to help me get revenge on the Evil Queen," Jefferson added.
"Done," Mr. Gold replied. "A deal it is."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Dark One," Jefferson returned with a satisfied grin.
That morning, news had quickly spread around town that Jefferson went missing.
Narrated by Kaylee (Continued)
Zelena was walking around town. Jefferson watched her closely from a distance then approached her. Zelena was aware of his presence and turned around. "What do you want, and why are you stalking me?" she questioned crossly.
"I was just curious but where would you find the diner? Jefferson asked. "I am unfamiliar to this town from living in solitude."
"You're the loony man this town has been talking about, hmmm what was it... oh yes, the Mad Hatter," Zelena said.
"First of all, my name is Jefferson, and it does not make me loony for trying to kill the Evil Queen," he replied. "This whole town is crazy for wanting to jail me for that. This town needs to wake up." He then drew close to her and said into her ear, "What's your name?"
"Zelena," she replied.
"My, such a lovely name," he replied, drawing away from her ear. "It suits such a breathtaking, beautiful woman such as yourself. And I'm sure you are much more powerful than your sister."
"What do you really want?" Zelena questioned suspiciously. "There must be a reason for all this flattery. Besides, you just met me."
"I only tell you what I see, a powerful, wicked, beautiful witch who is better than her sister," Jefferson said, smelling the perfume on her neck.
Zelena blushed and replied, "You are right, I am better than my sister."
"How about you come to my place for some tea," he offered.
Zelena smiled. "Yes, I'd love that. "You're quite a man, Jefferson."
"And you're quite a woman, Zelena."
As they had tea, Zelena suddenly felt dizzy, and she touched her head. "All you alright?" Jefferson asked. "You don't look well."
"I feel strange," Zelena said, quickly getting up. "What did you do to me?" she demanded. "This flattery, it was only a game, wasn't it! It was never true! I know what this was all about. You played me so that you could get your hands on this dagger!"
"Such a clever woman; you found me out," Jefferson maliciously replied.
"To think I fell for your flattery and to think actually someone could care about me!" Zelena responded, gritting her teeth in rage. Suddenly, she collapsed.
Jefferson approached her, grinning maliciously, and he took up the dagger.