Third Person POV:
Mr. Gold was covering a piece of cloth with the lanolin in the back room of his pawn shop.
Emma entered and called out, "Gold! In here?"
"Well, it is my shop," Mr. Gold answered.
Emma entered the back room. "Whoa! What is that?"
"Oh, this is lanolin -- used for waterproofing."
"It smells like livestock."
"Well, it is the reason why sheep's wool repels water."
"It stinks. Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department... If you want to talk about that quickly-"
"Yes."
"Or outside..."
"I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really. The sheriff was a good man. You're still wearing the deputy's badge. Well, he's been gone two weeks, now, and I believe that after two weeks of acting as sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real thing."
"Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words."
Emma went to leave and exited the main part of the shop.
Mr. Gold followed. "I have his things."
"What?"
He walked over to a box on the counter. "The sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."
"I don't need anything."
"As you wish. Well, give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family."
"I'm not sure about that."
"No love lost there, I see. Look, I feel that all of this stuff is headed for the trash bin -- you really should take something. Look -- his jacket."
"No."
"Well, look. Your boy and girl might like these, don't you think? You could play together." He held up several walkie talkies.
"I don't-"
"No, please. They... They grow up so fast."
"Thanks."
"You enjoy these with your boy and girl. Your time together is precious, you know? That's the thing about children -- before you know it, you lose them."
Aubree's POV:
Emma met me and Henry at our castle, holding walkie talkies. She sat between us and handed us both one.
"Brought you two something," Emma said. "Thought we could use them together for Operation Cobra."
"Thanks," Henry and I answered.
"Oh, come on! What's up? You've both been ducking me for weeks."
I glanced at Henry and he said, "Bree and I think we should should stop Cobra stuff for awhile. You don't play with the curse. Look what happened to Graham."
"Henry, Aubree, I told you two they did an autopsy. It was totally natural causes."
"Okay, whatever," I muttered. "You don't believe -- good. That should keep you from messing with it. And getting killed."
Emma looked between me and Henry. "You two are worried about me."
I met her eyes. "She killed Graham because he was good -- and you're good."
"Henry, Aubree..."
Henry cut her off. "Good loses -- good always loses. Because good has to play fair -- evil doesn't. She's evil. This is probably best. Bree and I don't want to upset her anymore."
Henry and I gave Emma back the walkie talkies and left.
Third Person POV:
Emma made her way back to the station and threw her keys on her desk. The Sheriff's badge was there. Emma was about to put it on.
Regina entered and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. that's not for you."
Emma frowned. "It's been two weeks -- promotion's automatic."
"Unless the Mayor appoints someone else within the time period, which I'm doing today."
"So who's it going to be?"
"After due reflection -- Sidney Glass."
"Sidney from the newspaper? How does that even make sense?"
"Well, he's covered the Sheriff's Office for as long as anyone can remember."
"And he'll do whatever you want him to. You just cannot stand the fact that things have been getting better around here, can you?"
"Better? Are you referring to Graham's death as 'better'?"
"No."
"He was a good man, Miss Swan. He made this town safe, and forgive me for saying it, but you have not earned the right to wear his badge."
"Graham picked me to be Deputy."
"He was wrong."
"No. He knew what he was doing. He freed this office from your leash. You're not getting it back."
"Actually, I just did. Miss Swan, you're fired." She took the Sheriff's badge off the desk and left.
Emma made her way to Mary Margaret's apartment.
Mary Margaret came in, seeing Emma trying to pry a toaster open with a knife. Music was blaring and there was a half empty bottle of whiskey on the table.
She turned off the music and asked, "Toaster broken?"
"It wasn't when I started with it," Emma replied. "Pretty sure it is now. Just needed to hit something."
"What's going on?"
"Regina fired me so she could put one of her own puppets in as sheriff. It's my job."
"I never heard you so passionate about it before. What happened?"
"I don't know, I just... I know I want it back."
"There must be a reason."
There was a knock on the door and Emma said, "Maybe I just want to beat her."
Emma answered the door, seeing Mr. Gold. He had a large binder under his arm.
"Good evening, Miss Swan," Mr. Gold greeted. "Sorry for the intrusion. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"I'll let you two talk," Mary Margaret said before leaving the room.
"Come on in." Emma ushered.
"Thank you," Mr. Gold answered. "I, uh... I heard about what happened. Such an injustice."
"Yeah, well, what's done is done."
"Spoken like a true fighter."
"I don't know what chance I have. She's Mayor and I'm, well, me."
"Miss Swan, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things. Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more. How would you like a benefactor?"
"A benefactor?"
"You mind?" He gestured to the table and he and Emma sat down. He put the binder on the table and opened it. "You know, it really is quite shocking how few people study the town charter."
"The town charter?"
"Well, it's quite comprehensive. And the Mayor's authority? Well, maybe she's not quite as powerful as she seems."
Regina, Sidney, and several reporters were gathered in Regina's office.
Regina began her introduction. "Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes. That's why Sidney Glass is my choice for the post of Sheriff. This man has put the needs of Storybrooke above his own for as long as any of us can remember as chief editor of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror. Please welcome your new Sheriff!"
Regina was about to pin the Sheriff's badge on Sidney when Emma entered.
"Hang on a second," Emma said.
Regina frowned. "Oh, Miss Swan, this is not appropriate."
"The only thing not appropriate is this ceremony. She does not have the power to appoint him."
"The town charter clearly states the Mayor shall appoint-"
"A candidate. You could appoint a candidate. It calls for an election."
"The term 'candidate' is applied loosely."
"No, it's not. It requires a vote. And guess what, Madam Mayor? I'm running."
"Fine. So is Sidney."
"I am?" Sidney asked, earning a look from Regina. "I am."
"With my full support," Regina added. "I guess we'll learn a little something about the will of the people."
Emma pursed her lips. "I guess we will."
Mr. Gold was sitting in his pawn shop, staring at the flame from a lighter. Regina entered and he put the flame out.
"Regina," Mr. Gold greeted.
She flipped the sign on the door to the 'closed' sign.
"Shall I move some things?" Mr. Gold questioned. "Make a bit of space for your rage?"
"You found that loophole in the town charter," Regina said.
"Legal documents -- contracts, if you like. Always been a fascination of mine."
"Yes, you love to trifle with technicalities."
"I like small weapons, you see. The needle, the pen, the fine point of a deal. Subtlety -- not your style, I know."
"You're a bastard."
"I think your grief's getting the better of you, Regina. Shame what happened to Graham."
"Don't you talk about him. You know nothing."
"What is there to know? He died."
"Are you really going up against me?"
"Not directly. We are, after all, both invested in the common good. We're just picking different sides."
"Well, I think you picked a really slow horse this time. It's not like you to back a loser."
"She hadn't lost yet."
"She will."
"Never underestimate someone who's acting for their children."
"They're not her children. Not legally."
"Oh, now who's trifling with technicalities?"
Aubree's POV:
Henry and I were sitting at a booth at Granny's Diner reading a newspaper. Emma entered and sat next to Henry.
"How was school?" She asked us.
"Okay," Henry and I replied.
"You two are reading that paper pretty hard."
"Sidney wrote it," Henry told her.
He passed the paper to Emma and she looked at the article about her. 'Ex-Jailbird -- Emma Swan birthed twin babes behind bars'.
"Is it a lie?"
"No."
I pointed between me and Henry. "We were born in jail?"
"Yes. These records were supposed to be sealed. Tell me you two aren't scarred for life."
"We're not. Well, not by this."
"Good. Then, let's throw this out and we will get our news from something more reliable. Like the Internet."
Henry frowned. "This is what Bree and I've been trying to tell you -- good can't be evil, because good doesn't do this kind of thing. Our mom plays dirty -- that's why you can't beat her. Ever."
"I have a new ally. Mr. Gold said he's going to help."
"Mr. Gold?" I repeated. "He's even worse than she is. You already owe him one favor. You really don't want to owe him any more. Don't do this."
Third Person POV:
Emma entered Regina's office at the Town Hall, newspaper in hand. "This was a juvie record. This was sealed by court order. I don't know how you got it, but that's abuse of power and illegal."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Regina replied. "You didn't want people to know how you cut their cords with a shiv?"
"I don't care what people know, but this hurts Henry and Aubree."
"They would've learned eventually. We all lose our heroes at some point."
Emma and Regina exited the office and walked through the building.
Emma continued. "They don't need to lose anything more. They're depressed, Madam Mayor. They don't have any... Any hope. Don't you see that?"
"They're fine," Regina said.
"They're not fine. I mean, think about it. Watching their adoptive mother throw an illegal smear campaign against their birth mother? You don't think that would be upsetting?"
"All I did was expose them to the truth. And as for the legality -- I did nothing wrong. But you and Sidney will have a chance to get into all that at the debate."
"Debate?"
"Yes, Miss Swan, there's a debate. You two can talk about jail time and juvie records and maybe even your new association with Mr. Gold. He's a snake, Miss Swan. You need to be careful who you get into bed with."
"I'm not getting into bed with anyone. I'm just fighting fire with-"
Regina opened the door and an explosion was set off, setting the next room on fire. Emma and Regina were thrown back from the blast. Regina's ankle was crushed by a piece of debris and was immobilized.
Emma freed Regina and said, "All right, come on -- let's go! We got to get out of here."
"I can't move!" Regina cried. "You have to get me out. Help me!"
Emma went to leave, but Regina grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" Regina asked.
Emma broke free of Regina's grasp and walked into the room on fire. Regina tried to get up on her own, but Emma came back with a fire extinguisher. She got the fire under control and cleared the way to the exit. Regina put her arm around Emma's shoulder and they left the building. Outside, a reporter took a picture of them leaving and sirens sounded from a distance.
"Oh, ow, ow!" Regina yelled. "My ankle! Set me down gently!"
Emma frowned. "Seriously? You're complaining about how I saved your life?"
"The firemen are here. It's not like we were really in danger."
"Fine. Next time I'll just... I'll just... Ah, you know what? Next time, I'll do the same thing. And the time after that because that is what decent human beings do. That's what good people do."
Emma walked away from Regina.
Henry and Aubree were standing by the fire truck, talking with a firefighter.
"Did Emma really rescue our mom?" Henry asked.
"Did Emma really act like a superhero and save our mom?" Aubree added.
Regina was on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. She overheard Henry and Aubree and threw off the mask in anger before crying, "Enough!"
"Regina," the paramedic called.
"I'm fine," Regina replied.
Sidney ran up to Regina with a camera and took a picture. "Nice shot of the victim?"
"Sidney? What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to hand the election to her?
"But it's news."
"She's the competition, you fool."
Emma and various townspeople were talking in a group.
"Did you really rescue Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.
"She did!" Henry and Aubree cried.
"The fireman said it. They saw it," Henry added.
"You are a hero," Ruby said.
"We should see if they have a picture of the rescue," Mary Margaret suggested.
"We could make campaign posters," Granny said.
"Oh, people would love that!" Archie exclaimed. "That's a great idea. Wait, so..."
The group walked away, leaving Emma, Henry and Aubree alone.
Emma looked at the twins. "This is how good wins. You do something good and people see it, and then they want to help you."
"Maybe you're right," the twins replied.
"You see, Henry, Aubree? We don't have to fight dirty."
In the pile of debris, Emma noticed the same fabric that Mr. Gold was preparing in his shop when she'd talked with him earlier.
She picked up the fabric and made her way to Mr. Gold's shop.
Emma entered and Mr. Gold said, "Loads of visitors today. Do hope you're not going to break my little bell."
"You set the fire," Emma told him.
"I've been right here, Miss Swan."
"Take a whiff. It smells like your sheep crap oil. Turns out it's flammable."
"Oh. Are you sure? There's some construction working on at City Hall at the moment. There's loads of flammable solvents used in construction."
"Why did you do it?"
""If" I did it. If I did it, that would be because you cannot win without something big. Something like, uh... Oh, I don't know. Being the hero in a fire?"
"How could you even know I'd be there at the right time?"
"Maybe Regina's not the only one with eyes and ears in this town. Or maybe... I'm just intuitive -- were I involved."
"I could've run and left her there."
"Not the type."
"I can't go along with this."
"You just did. This is just the price of election, Miss Swan."
"A price I'm not willing to pay. Find another sucker."
"Okay, go ahead -- expose me. But if you do, just think about what you'll be exposing and what you'll be walking away from."
Emma headed for the door as Mr. Gold said, "Oh, yes. And, um... Who you might be exposing."
People were standing outside the Town Hall. Above the entrance, there was a banner about the debate for the Sheriff's election. Mary Margaret was stapling posters promoting Emma on the bulletin board. She ran into David, who was also putting up posters.
"David!" Mary Margaret greeted. "Hi!"
"Mary Margaret," David called. "Hi."
"I was just, uh..."
"Yeah, yeah. Me too."
"How are things?"
"Okay. Oh, I got a job. Yeah, I'm working at the animal shelter."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"So. Sidney." She nodded to the poster David was holding up.
"My wife is friends with Regina, so..."
"Oh, right. How is Kathryn?"
"Good. She's meeting me here later."
"That's wonderful. Well, I'm all out of posters. I'm going to go get some more."
Sidney was getting ready for the debate. Archie was practicing his opening speech.
"Citizens of Storybrooke," Archie greeted. "Uh, we welcome you to, uh... Welcome, citizens of Storybrooke, uh... Uh, we welcome you, citizens of Storybrooke. Welcome, uh..."
Emma was waiting at the podium. Mary Margaret came up to her and handed her a piece of paper and a bottle of water.
"I'm not going to win," Emma said.
Mary Margaret frowned. "What are you talking about? Everyone's talking about what you did in the fire."
"No, Henry and Aubree are right -- I can't beat Regina at this. Not the way she fights. Watch and see."
"Is this really just about beating Regina."
"It's just..."
"Henry and Aubree."
"I want to show them that good can actually win."
"That's why you want to win it for them, but why do you want to win the election for yourself?"
"That is why. I want to show them that a hero can win. And if I'm not... If I'm not a hero and I'm not the savior, then what part to I have in his life? Okay. There it is."
Archie gave his opening speech. Emma and Sidney were sitting on either side of him.
Archie looked at the audience. "Tragedy has brought us here, but we are faced with this decision. And now, we ask only that you listen with an open mind and to please vote your conscience. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the candidates -- Sidney Glass and Emma Swan. Glass. Swan. Sounds like something that a decorator would make you buy. Wow, crickets. Okay, uh... Uh, Mr. Glass -- your opening statement."
Sidney walked up to the podium. "I just want to say, that if elected, I want to serve as a reflection of the best qualities of Storybrooke. Honesty, neighborliness, and strength. Thank you."
He sat back down and Archie called Emma. "And Emma Swan."
Emma walked up to the podium. "You guys all know I have what they call a, uh... Troubled past. But, you've been able to overlook it because of them, um... Hero thing. But here's the thing -- the fire was a setup. Mr. Gold agreed to support me in this race, but I didn't know that that meant he was going to set a fire. I don't have definitive evidence, but I'm sure.And the worst part of all this was -- the worst part of all this is-- I let you all think it was real. And I can't win that way. I'm sorry."
Mr. Gold got up from the audience and left.
Emma finished off a drink at Granny's diner. Ruby, who was behind the counter, asked, "Another?"
"Oh, hell, yes," Emma replied.
Ruby went to get another drink and Henry and Aubree entered the diner, sitting on either side of Emma.
Aubree's POV:
"Hey, Henry. Hey, Aubree," Emma said.
Henry pulled a walkie talkie from his backpack and handed it to Emma.
She looked at it. "What's this for?"
"You stood up to Mr. Gold," Henry explained. "It's pretty amazing."
"Well, he did something illegal."
I smiled. "That's what heroes do -- expose stuff like that. We shouldn't have given up on Operation Cobra."
Mom and Mr. Glass entered the diner.
Mom frowned at Emma. "I thought I might find you here. With a drink. And my son and daughter."
"Here to card me, officer?" Emma shot back.
Mr. Glass shook his head. "Well, not at all. In fact, I think I'll join you."
"Here? I don't know. I think they're setting up a back room for the victory party."
"Oh, well, you'll have to tell me what that's like."
"Congratulations. ...Sheriff Swan," Mom said.
Mom pulled out the Sheriff's badge and placed it on the counter.
"Wait, what?" Henry and I asked.
People gathered in the diner.
Mom continued. "It was a very close vote, but people really seem to like the idea of a Sheriff brave enough to stand up to Mr. Gold."
"Are you joking?" Emma questioned.
Mr. Glass shook his head. "She doesn't joke."
Mom looked at Emma. "You didn't pick a great friend in Mr. Gold, Miss Swan, but he does make a superlative enemy. Enjoy that."
Third Person POV:
Emma entered the Sheriff's office at the station and noticed a jacket hanging on the coat rack.
Mr. Gold walked in. "The Sheriff's jacket -- I thought you might want it after all."
Emma narrowed her eyes. "You do know I'm armed, right?"
"It's all part of the act, my dear. Political theater in an actual theater. I knew no one was going to vote for you unless we gave you some kind of extraordinary quality, and I'm afraid saving old Regina's arse from the fire just wasn't going to do that. We had to give you a higher form of bravery. They had to see you defy me -- and they did."
"No way. There's no way you planned that."
"Everyone's afraid of Regina, but they're more afraid of me. By standing up to me, you won the over. It was the only way."
"You knew I'd agree."
"Oh, yeah. I know how to recognize a desperate soul."
"Why did you do this?"
"We made a deal some time back, Miss Swan. We established that you owed me a favor. I know that can be a bad feeling -- owing someone. Now that you're Sheriff, I'm sure we'll find some way for you to pay back what you owe me. Congratulations."