Plot

Hook hunts down Gold in New York and Mary Margaret learns of Regina and Cora's plan for the dagger, as flashbacks show a young Snow White faced with a difficult choice when her mother falls ill.

In Past Fantasy Land: Queen Eva is making preparations for Young Snow's birthday ball when her daughter comes to show her the new dress she'll be wearing. Eva takes Snow to their quarters to give her a gift: the queen's crown, passed down from mother to daughter for generations. As they enter, they find their servant, Johanna, trying on the crown. Snow scolds her and Eva apologizes on behalf of her daughter. She tells Snow that everyone in the kingdom deserves love and respect, and that everyone is the same. Eva asks Snow what the ball represents, and corrects her when she says that it's in honor of her. The queen explains that it's for Snow to honor her people and show them that she will always hold goodness for them in her heart. Snow says that she understands and her mother gives her the crown... and collapses, deathly ill. Johanna goes to get the Royal Doctor while Snow runs to her mother's side.

In Present Day Storybrooke: David (Prince Charming) is making breakfast at the apartment and Mary Margaret (Snow White) tells him that she knows what he's trying to do. He admits that he thought she would change her mind about celebrating her birthday once the curse broke, but Mary Margaret says that she still feels the same. As they talk, Mary Margaret notices a birthday present on the table and David explains that someone left it on their doorstep and he brought it in. Mary Margaret opens it and finds her crown inside, along with a note from Johanna. David and Mary Margaret were unaware that Johanna was still alive and in Storybrooke, and Mary Margaret decides to see her. David wishes her a happy birthday as she goes and wishes that the day made her happier. However, Mary Margaret tells him that they both know that it can't.

David sets off to work at the sheriff's office, but Hook ambushes him, knocks him out, and recovers his hook from the evidence cabinet.

Title Screen: Storybrooke Clocktower

In Present Day Storybrooke: Mary Margaret finds Johanna's house and they hug each other. Johanna tells Mary Margaret that she found the crown in Gold's shop and bought it, knowing that she had to give it to her former employer. Mary Margaret notices the snowdrops that Johanna is growing in her garden and the former servant explains that they grow in any season, and that she is raising them in honor of Eva. As they talk, Mary Margaret hears someone moving about in the nearby forest and goes to investigate. She watches as Cora and Regina (Evil Queen) use Gold's map to search for the Dark One's dagger. Cora wonders if Hook lied to them when he translated the map, but assures Regina that it doesn't matter because she can use her magic to decipher it eventually. Once they have the dagger, they can force Rumpelstiltskin to kill for them.

Mary Margaret goes to find her husband and wakes him up. He tells her what happened and they realize that Cora plans to find the Dark One's dagger to control him or become the Dark One herself. Mary Margaret tells David that she's already left a message for Gold on Emma's phone but until he calls back, she suggests that they delay Regina by playing on her doubt of Cora. She offers to call Regina and set up a meeting.

In Present Day New York: Neal (Baelfire) takes the others on a tour of the city. While he goes to get pizza with Henry, Emma worries that Henry will never forgive her, but Mr. Gold (Rumpelstiltskin) tells her that the boy will eventually forgive her. He asks Emma to convince Neal to come back to Storybrooke, and warns her that Henry will eventually run away to be with his father, just as he ran away to find Emma. Emma figures that Neal will eventually let Henry down just as he let her down, but Gold suspects that Emma is more concerned with protecting herself than with Henry's feelings. He suggests that Emma wants a second chance with her former lover, but Emma denies it.

Neal and Henry come back and Neal says that he's going to take Henry to the museum. As they go, Henry makes another comment reminding Emma that she lied to him.

In Present Day Storybrooke: Mary Margaret arranges a meeting with Regina at the diner, claiming that she's heard from Henry. When Regina gets there, Mary Margaret admits that she hasn't talked to Henry and tells Regina that she knows the former mayor is working with Cora. Mary Margaret gives Regina one last chance to choose good. Regina asks Mary Margaret if she "ever considered that perhaps, I am good? I was always queen, it was you who added evil to my name." She points out that all being "good" got her was insincere acceptance from people who will never forgive her, and tells Mary Margaret to stay out of her way. Regina gets up to go and Mary Margaret warns her that Cora doesn't care about Henry except as a way to gain power. Disgusted, Regina asks Mary Margaret what she knows about mothers and stalks out.

In Past Fantasy World: After the Royal Doctor examines Eva, he tells Snow that he isn't sure what's wrong with the queen. He has Johanna summon the king from his journey and leaves, while Snow goes to her mother. Eva says that she'll be fine in time for her daughter's birthday but Snow insists that her birthday doesn't matter. Snow goes out and Johanna hugs her, and then admits that where medicine has failed, magic may succeed in curing Eva. She suggests that Snow may be able to call upon a fairy who grants wishes if the requestor's heart is true. Snow insists that it is and Johanna tells her to go to a clearing in the woods and wish upon a blue star.

In Present Day New York: As Henry talks to Gold about the fact that the pawnbroker is his grandfather, Neal tells Emma that he's trying his best with their son. Emma says that she'll have to take Henry back to Storybrooke and suggests that Neal should come with them. Before Neal can respond, they arrive at his apartment and Neal goes upstairs with Henry to get his camera for their trip to the museum.

Hook comes in behind Emma, knocks her out, and then slams Gold against the wall, piercing his chest with his hook. As Hook prepares to finish Gold for good, Emma clubs him unconscious from behind. Neal and Henry hear the commotion and come running down to investigate. As Neal examines his father, concerned, he recognizes Hook, much to Emma's surprise.

Emma locks Hook in a storage room, and searching him, finds a map. They realize that he sailed from Storybrooke to New York on his cloaked pirate ship. Neal describes the ship as being able to sail between worlds and then tends to his father. Henry goes to his grandfather but Gold shoves him away, saying that it's the boy's fault that he was hurt. They realize that Hook's hook had poison on it and Gold is dying, and they can only cure him by using magic. A car won't get them to Storybrooke in time to save Gold. Neal suggests that they use Hook's ship... and admits that he knows how to sail it.

In Present Day Storybrooke: Mary Margaret and David go to the nunnery to see Mother Superior (Blue Fairy). Immediately, she realizes what Cora and Regina can do with the dagger and the couple ask for her help.

In Past Fantasy World: Snow goes into the woods and starts to make a wish. Instantly, the Blue Fairy appears, saying that she could sense someone in need. When Snow tells her what she seeks, the Blue Fairy warns that fairy magic is the purest magic of all, and cheating death requires black magic. Snow realizes that the fairy is holding something back and asks what she can do. The Blue Fairy admits that there is a form of magic that is forbidden to her kind except under the most dire of circumstances. She asks Snow to promise never to tell anyone what she's offering and then gives the girl a candle. The Blue Fairy explains that the candle can save a life but only at the cost of sacrificing the life of another. She instructs Snow in how to use it, but the girl insists that she can't kill someone, even to save her mother's life. The Blue Fairy warns her that if she doesn't Eva will die.

In Present Day New York: Neal makes a call to arrange for a car and admits that he spent some time in another world before arriving in this one. Henry checks Emma's phone and finds Mary Margaret's message explaining that Regina is after the dagger. Emma warns Gold that if Mary Margaret and David don't find it then Regina and Cora will and use it to control him. Still, the pawnbroker refuses to tell Emma the dagger's location, insisting that it hasn't been discovered in centuries and never will be. Emma tells him that he's going to have to trust someone eventually and that he should start with his family.

In Present Day Storybrooke: Mary Margaret, David, and the Mother Superior go to Gold's shop. The Mother Superior uses her wand to gain entry but discovers that Gold's protection spell is too powerful. David suggests that they use black magic and Snow agrees, reminding the Mother Superior that she once gave her black magic to cure Eva. The Mother Superior doesn't remember that conversation. However, before she can ask Snow for more details, Emma calls David and tells him that Gold revealed where he's hidden the dagger. David tells the others and looks up at the library's clock tower.

In Past Fantasy World: Snow returns to her mother's chambers and tells Eva what happened. She confesses that she couldn't bring herself to kill another to save Eva's life, and the queen assures her daughter that it's all right. Snow's failure to kill proves that she has the strength to resist the Darkness and rule her kingdom as a great queen. Snow begs her mother not to leave her but Eva tells her that as long as Snow holds the spirit of goodness in her heart, she'll never leave her. As Eva dies, Johanna comforts Snow.

In Present Day Storybrooke: David and Mary Margaret go to the top of the clock tower and David removes the dagger from its hiding place -- one of the clock's hands. Before they can do more than grasp it, Regina and Cora arrive by teleport. Mary Margaret tells Regina that good has triumphed but Cora teleports Johanna to the tower. Regina takes the woman's heart and tells Mary Margaret to turn over the dagger or watch her friend die.

In Past Fantasy World: As Snow dresses for Eva's funeral, Johanna gives her the crown and tells Snow that the kingdom will find strength through her goodness, and Snow will find strength in what Eva told her. Snow dons the crown and goes to the funeral. After laying a snowdrop on her mother's breast, Snow kneels and the people join her. Snow remains at the grave for hours, kneeling there until long after everyone has left. Johanna finally tells the girl that it's time to let Eva go. Once they leave, the Blue Fairy flies in... and Cora drops her disguise. She goes to the grave, admitting to Eva that Regina doesn't love her the way that Snow loves Eva. Cora then says that even though she failed this time, she will eventually turn Snow's heart as black as coal, destroying Eva and her legacy, and then Eva will know what Cora endured as the miller's daughter.

In Present Day Storybrooke: Cora easily disarms David when he tries to draw his gun. She taunts Mary Margaret, talking about how she refused to use the candle, and Mary Margaret realizes that only the Blue Fairy could know what happened, that Cora disguised herself as the Blue Fairy. She also realizes that Cora poisoned her mother and the sorceress admits that the candle would have worked. When Mary Margaret wonders why, Cora explains that she killed Eva so that Regina could become queen. Mary Margaret insists that she won't let them win again but Regina prepares to crush Johanna's heart and a sobbing Mary Margaret finally drops the dagger. Cora snatches it up and Regina returns Johanna's heart to her chest. Johanna goes to Mary Margaret... and Cora strikes her. Johanna smashes through the clock face, falling to her death on the street below. The two women teleport away as Mary Margaret breaks into tears.

Regina and Cora go to the mayor's office and Cora asks her daughter why she's troubled. After considering the matter, Regina asks Cora why she didn't tell her about her involvement in Eva's death. Cora says that she didn't want to burden Regina with it, but Regina realizes that Cora arranged it so that she would rescue Snow as part of her plans for Snow and her family. Cora wonders if Regina's realization changes anything, and Regina wonders why they still need Rumplestiltskin's dagger. She points out that it's useless to them as a means to force Gold to kill Emma, Mary Margaret, and David without Henry realizing that Cora is responsible, as they will now tell Henry what happened. However, Cora assures her daughter that she has a way to achieve what they both want.

In Present Day New York: As Emma and Neal go to the car he's borrowing from a friend, Emma admits that she's surprised that he's helping his father. Neal insists that Gold is his father no matter what, and Emma figures that it will be good for Henry to spend time with his father. As they get to the car, Neal starts to explain who he's borrowing it from. However, a woman, Tamara, comes over and interrupts them. She asks Neal why he needs the car and he reluctantly introduces her to Emma as his fiancee'.

In Present Day Storybrooke: After Johanna's funeral, Mary Margaret wonders how many more people will die because she keeps doing the right thing. She reminds David that if she had let Regina be executed years ago, none of their troubles would have happened. She remarks how upholding goodness has brought much pain into their lives and perhaps it's not Regina and Cora who need to change, but she herself. David assures her that they keep defeating Regina, but Mary Margaret wonders if the cost is worth it. When David points out that the dagger is useless until Gold returns to Storybrooke and they still have time to bring Cora and Regina to justice, Mary Margaret tells her husband that she doesn't want to bring them to justice. Snow ignores his comment and vows to kill Cora once and for all.