- Regina tries to push Emma out of Storybrooke and Henry's life, as flashbacks detail information about the Evil Queen's curse.
- The next morning, the townspeople noticed the town clock has moved for the first time in 28 years. Regina (Lana Parrilla) goes through her son's storybook and notices there are missing pages near the back. She goes to Henry (Jared Gilmore) and asks where the pages are, but he says it's an old book. They've always been gone. Regina complains he thinks of her as an evil queen rather than his mother. He insists he doesn't. She asks who he does think his mother is. Regina assures him Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is no longer an issue, but then hears the town clock time. She goes to see it and notices Emma's car is still in town. Regina goes to see Emma with a basket of apples, saying they're from the tree she has had since she was a little girl. The mayor suggests Emma should enjoy them on her way home. Emma points out Regina telling her to leave is just encouraging her to stay. She wants to stay and make sure her biological son is okay. Regina says she has things under control. Emma asks what she means. Regina says she has the boy in therapy and warns Emma not to underestimate her.
The Evil Queen teleports back to her castle as Prince Charming tries to kill her by throwing his sword. The Magic Mirror (Giancarlo Esposito) asks what she's done. The Evil Queen explains she casts the Dark Curse, much to the surprise of her servant and the Magic Mirror. She then goes to the Forbidden Fortress to see Maleficent (Kristin Bauer), another evil witch. Two briefly spar verbally. The Evil Queen then demands her curse back. Maleficent say they've already made their exchange. It's hers now. She points out it's hidden in the orb on her staff and contained for good reason, and asks where it came from. The Evil Queen summons her magical forces, summoning a fireball from the fireplace. Maleficent fights back as the Evil Queen animates all of the weapons and throws them at Maleficent's pet, a black unicorn. The mistress protects her pet, but the Evil Queen binds her with the metal from the chandelier and takes the staff. When Maleficent tells her to do her worst, the Evil Queen refuses, saying she's her only friend, and ignores her friend's warning. The Dark Curse will create a void within her she can't fill. The Evil Queen accepts that and leaves.
Later, the Evil Queen meets with the other dark forces of the land and tells them today is the day they will finally emerge triumphant. They ask if they'll be happy and the Evil Queen says they will, but she needs a lock of hair from the darkest souls of the land. At her gesture, the trees around them animate, surrounding them. They each contribute a lock and the Evil Queen causes the limbs to withdraw. She then takes out the final ingredient: the heart of her prized steed from her childhood. She unleashes the Dark Curse and a column of magical smoke swirls up into the air as the others look on, but then disappears. A gnome laughs at the Evil Queen for her failure. She transforms him into a stone statue. Regina is in the garden admiring the apples and a gnome statue when the newspaper editor, Sydney (the Magic Mirror), approaches her. He has already published an article in the town newspaper, the Mirror, about Emma destroying the town's boundary marker, but admits he's learned little of Emma's background. Regina points out he's learned nothing of value and warns him to find something or she'll dispose of him.
Emma is at Granny's Diner getting breakfast when the waitress, Ruby (Meghan Ory), brings her a cup of hot chocolate. Emma assumes Sheriff Graham got it for her and goes over to him, telling him she doesn't want anything from him. Henry looks up from the next booth and says he sent it over. He invites her to walk him to school, and says his plan is to free everyone from the curse. As Emma is about to bite one of Regina's apples, Henry grabs it and throws it away. She asks why the citizens don't remember their past lives. Henry explains they all live in a haze. Emma is the only one who can free everyone. He removed the pages from the storybook to keep Regina from learning Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Henry tells her to read the pages and learn about her past, but to make sure Regina doesn't see them because it would be bad if she learned who Emma is. They arrive at the school. Henry goes inside after saying that he's glad Emma believes him. His teacher, Mary Margaret, sees them talk and comes over to thank Emma for making Henry smile. She explains to Emma that Regina has managed to remain mayor through intimidation. Henry thinks she's Snow White. When Mary Margaret asks who Henry thinks Emma is, Emma lies and she says she's not in the book. Emma goes to see Archie (Raphael Sbarge) and asks why Henry thinks people are storybook characters. Archie explains Henry is using the book to deal with his problems. Emma points out Henry only got the book a month ago and his problems go back further. The psychiatrist admits Henry has had problems with his adoptive mother, and offers Emma the file. Emma wonders why he's violating doctor-patient confidentiality. Archie says Emma is very important to Henry. As she goes, Archie tells her to be careful not to destroy the boy's imagination. Once Emma leaves, Archie calls Regina and says she's right. Emma took the file. When Archie wonders why Emma came there, Regina says she's the one who gave Emma the idea.
Emma is in her room reading the file when Graham comes by and says Archie has filed a complaint. Emma stole the files. Emma shows him the files Graham arrests her. She points out she's being set up. Graham asks who would want to set her up. Regina comes to see Henry at school and tells Mary Margaret it's important. She takes him aside and tells him Emma has been arrested and she's a con woman trying to take advantage of them. Henry doesn't believe it. Regina insists she's just trying to protect them. As Graham takes Emma's mug shots, Emma warns Regina is trying to get rid of her, and asks what influence she has with the police. Henry arrives with Mary Margaret and tells Emma he knew she was gathering intel for his operation. Mary Margaret posts bail, much to Emma's surprise. Regina is working in her office when she hears a noise outside. She looks outside and sees Emma taking a chainsaw to her apple tree. Regina storms out. Emma tells her she'll have to do better than that to get her out of town, tells her it's her move, and walks away.
The Valet tells the Evil Queen perhaps it's for the best she failed, since the dark forces are more powerful than she can conceive. He assures her helping her is his life, and she asks for his help to find out why the Dark Curse didn't work. The Valet suggests she talk to Maleficent and warns after going for revenge, there's no going back. The Evil Queen wonders what she has to go back to.
Rumplestiltskin is in his cell when he realizes the rat outside his cell is the Evil Queen. She transforms to her human form and tells him the Dark Curse he gave her isn't working. Rumplestiltskin says Snow White and Prince Charming visited him. He told them only their unborn child can stop the darkness. She asks what she did wrong. Rumplestiltskin says he will in return for a good life in her new life. She must heed his every request as long as he says "please." The Evil Queen notes he won't remember anything if the curse succeeds, and agrees. He then tells her she needs to sacrifice the heart of something precious, not just her horse. The Evil Queen asks what will suffice. He says the heart of what she loves most. When she says what she loved most died because of Snow White, Rumplestiltskin says there must be something else and tells her to consider how far she's willing to go. The Evil Queen says she'll go as far as it takes. He says to stop wasting time and go kill it.
As Emma returns to her room, Granny (Beverley Elliott) approaches her and asks her to leave because they have a no-felons city ordinance. Granny asks for her key back. Emma hands it over.Graham comes to see Regina, who demands he arrest Emma for destroying city property. The sheriff warns Emma may be innocent and wonders who convinced Archie to lie. Regina warns him not to let a crush get the better of him. Graham agrees to arrest Emma, but warns she'll keep coming no matter what. Henry will be hurt if the situation escalates. As Emma goes to get her car, she discovers it's been booted. Regina calls and offers to meet so they can make peace. When Emma gets there, Regina apologizes and then suggests Emma wants to take Henry away. Emma denies it. She simply wants to make sure Henry is okay given his troubles. She explains Henry can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and thinks he's crazy. Henry overhears them and runs away. Emma realizes Regina set her up. Regina says she did know he'd be there, because she's his mother. Emma wonders how Regina has become so soulless and walks away.
The Evil Queen returns to her castle. Magic Mirror asks what happened. She ignores him and the Valet asks if she learned what she needed to know. The Evil Queen admits she's conflicted and explains what she has to do, and the Valet realizes he's the one she loves most. She calls him "Daddy" and admits she doesn't know what to do. He tells her to move past it, but the Evil Queen says she can't live with what Snow Queen took from her. The Valet suggests that she start over so they can have a new life, but the Evil Queen says her power will disappear and the others will think she's nothing. He tells her she can have love again and hugs her, saying they can find happiness together. However, the choice is hers. The Evil Queen cries and then says he can be right, and stabs him in the heart as he stares at her in shock. As he collapses to the ground, the Evil Queen apologizes.
Emma goes to see Mary Margaret to reimburse the bail money. The teacher offers to hear her out and offers her cinnamon hot chocolate and cookies. Emma asks why Mary Margaret trusts her. She says she has the feeling they've met before. She believes Emma is innocent. Emma says she's leaving to keep Henry from being hurt. Mary Margaret points out the fact Emma wants to leave is the very reason to stay, because she cares about him. There'll be no one else to protect him
Henry goes to see Archie for therapy. He says he doesn't think Archie is Jiminy Cricket. Emma storms in. Archie tries to apologize for what he did, but she tells Henry she wanted to stay and get to know him. She admits she thinks the curse is crazy, but that doesn't mean it's not true. Emma told Regina what she needed to hear. The only way to break the curse is by tricking the Evil Queen into thinking they're both nonbelievers. Henry cheers up. Emma tells him the pages are dangerous, and burns them in Archie's fireplace to make sure Regina never sees them. He gets up and hugs her, saying he knew she was there to help him, and Emma says not even a curse will stop her from helping him.
The Evil Queen takes her father's heart to the clearing and tosses it into the fire. This time the curse expands throughout the land, changing everything in its path. EQ then goes to a gravestone and leaves a flower at her father Henry's grave. Henry and Emma leave Archie's office together. As Regina tends to her apple tree, Mr. Gold comes by and congratulates her on being in high spirits. When the mayor says she's triumphed, Gold warns her he saw Emma and Henry together. He suggests Regina should have come to him for help... for a price. When Regina says she's not in the business of making deals with him anymore, Gold points out he procured Henry for her and asks how she chose the name. Regina realizes Gold wanted Emma to come to Storybrooke and asks where he obtained Henry. Gold says he won't answer her questions and asks her to let him go... please. Regina stares at him in dawning realization as he walks away.
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