An Apple Red as Blood

"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" - The cat. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason **


Villagers got themselves some torches

Regina's bullshit may be catching up with her. It appears her "curse" is weakening in Storybrooke. Regina brought these people there, put them in a sort of fog, changed some names and separated families. But interestingly, not everyone is asleep.  Besides Mr. Gold, Jefferson has been spared of the snooze and was given a mansion to live in.  Did she spare him the "sleeping" part of the curse so she could call upon his skills whenever she needed him?  Obviously Jefferson is suffering in a different way with his "knowing" about things and not being able to change or do anything about it- but maybe he will find the strength to fight back.

But make no mistake about it- Regina is the cause of her own suffering. It's the choices she herself made all through her life that brought her to "this place."  Fuckin' Regina automatically blames Jefferson for the hat not working instead of the fault being hers for causing all of this to begin with.  Did you find it interesting the twisted ring Regina got from Daniel as s symbol of true love doesn't contain enough magic to make the hat work? I was.  But when Regina concentrated hard enough with her mind she was able to "make" magic- and then make magic from magic.

Revenge and her own conceit may backfire when she inadvertently harms Henry- putting him into a deep sleep.


`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.' `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice. `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.' 

Here's Jefferson all "safe" in Storybrooke and not in some hole in the middle of the universe. That's because one must let go of the idea of time and space when dealing with these fantastical realms/worlds.

I found it intriguing that during Regina's deal making session with Jefferson he mentions he wants to end the madness and go home, and then he states that "Remembering is the worst curse. Two lives in her head like me. I want to forget. I want you to write us a new story. A fresh start- here."  That conversation is important and very telling.


"...Your body will be your tomb and you'll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets."

Don't get me wrong, of course I understand we see many lost people living out this adventure. But I must say that Henry's heightened emotions were very concerning to me.  I found that certain dialogue could lend itself to relating directly to him and how he is imprisoned.  Go back and watch Emma and Archie's meeting at Granny's.  Archie does seem to feel Henry is an emotionally troubled child living in a fantasy.

We see the adventure is being experienced by many "lost sleeping people" on a journey, but I have a few questions about Henry.

• Is Henry just an instrument, a device, used in the story as a means to help Emma on her journey?
• Does the possibility exist that it is in one child's or all of their minds while asleep, like Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy in Oz. 
• Is Henry an author of this story, creating villains, curses, quests, and bringing a savior/mother to rescue him?  
• Could Henry be the representation of the "child" in all of those hurt and lost people?
• Is he literally Emma's child or someone else's?  
• Or simply, did all of these people pay to go on this awesome fairy tale "trip", 'cause I'd sure as hell by a ticket. Maybe, just maybe, the DHARMA Initiative is involved.

When Henry visits August I was surprised to see how surprised Henry was by the transformation of August into Pinocchio. Is this the first "real" visual evidence (besides the book) Henry had to support his curse theory? Did Henry need proof that the curse is real too? Henry's desperation for Emma to see the truth led him to take matters into his own hands (and with a nudge/idea from August) by eating the triangle turnover, knowing that it contained a curse and that would prove to Emma she needs to open her eyes and not run from her destiny.  Did he make a sacrifice for the greater good? That makes Henry a hero. Will Emma finally face her destiny?

Sacrificing for true love seems to be one way to contribute restoring balance to the Kingdom.  But Regina sacrificing the last bit of magic for evil just may break up her family, where as sacrifices made by the good people are for true love and family.  No matter what it seems that things are going to change so "Have a cluckity, cluck, cluck day, Hugo."

Guide your mind through time and space. You  may find that you have the "magic power" all along.

 Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑ Magical properties.
๑ Decapitation. Head. Sleep. Dreams. Trip. White Rabbit.
๑ Everyone thinks Snow White is dead, they're wrong. She's in a deep sleep.
๑ Sight. Sound. Taste. Smell. Touch.
๑ Close, but can't be reached or touched.
๑ Emma's reverting back to who she was before - August is changing back into a puppet- Henry is retreating further back into his fantasy life.
๑ Regina brought Jefferson and the others to Storybrooke.  Henry brought Emma to Storybrooke.
๑ Regina's "calling card" is the White Rabbit placed on Paige's bicycle.
๑ August says it will be hard to breathe. Red determines Snow has no breath. Henry slips into deep sleep.
๑ What is Mr. Gold's first name?
๑ Mr. Gold wants the curse to be broken
๑ How many authors are there to the book?
๑ Spinning- Globe/World, the Hatter Hat.
๑ Orchids
๑ Riddles. Puzzles. Play on words.
๑ Magic tricks. Illusions.
๑ Life. Death.
๑ Look. See.
๑ Main page Storybrooke.
๑ August shows Henry his wood arm which happens to look varnished and he can wiggle those fingers.
๑ Bicycle- balance- stable
๑ Core- heart
๑ Time- Hurry up. Slow down. No time to waste.
๑ Mental and Emotional health. Schizophrenia/possible Dissociative identity disorder- split personality.
๑ The Queen took the Prince to her castle.
๑ Alice in Wonderland. Eat. Tarts/pastry- turnover

Vocabulary and Research...
๑ Magic Tricks and illusion- guillotine-is a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation.
๑ Conundrum: a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play or words. Or anything that puzzles.
 - A logical postulation that evades resolution  
๑ Grave doesn't only represent death, it is also an emotional state.
๑ A Land Without Magic: The second book in the Kit Stixby series- A novel by Stephen Elboz. The second in a series of books about Kit Stixby and his friend, Prince Henry, which started with "A Handful of Magic".

✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈ Magical properties. Electrical activity and whooshing
✈ Head.  Sleep.  Dreams.  Trip. White Rabbit
✈ Drugs/mushrooms. Alcohol 
✈ Time and Space
✈ People are brought to the "Island"
✈ Crown. chest/heart. head/mind
✈ Dead. Gone. Not dead.
✈ Eyes
✈ Law
✈ Noble
✈ Suffering
✈ Sacrifice
✈  Life. Death
✈ 4
✈108
✈ Magic Tricks. Illusion.
✈ Glass. Cell. Being watched
✈ Truce
✈ Pen
✈ Axis
✈ War. Game. Deals. Rules.  Loopholes 
✈ Balance
✈ Part of a design:
✈ Schizophrenia. Mental and emotional health. Santa Rosa Mental Institute. Therapy.
✈ "Fire + Water"
✈ Flaming Arrow
✈ Tied to a tree: Sayid, Sawyer and Shannon
✈ "I do" and  "A Tale of Two Cities" - Glass cell
✈ "They need you": mentioned a couple of times-
   - "The Beginning of the End"  Charlie informs Hurley
   - "There's No Place Like Home"  Kate hears a voice tell her in reverse- The "Island" needs you...
   - "Man of Science, Man of Faith"- Kate to Jack
✈ Important connecting episodes: "White Rabbit",  "Born to Run", "Two for the Road", and "Expose".


Enough of my rambling...Here is your episode recap! Enjoy!


Regina and Henry are having a meal together. {Red meat, cauliflower and note 4 red apples on a white plate.}  The doorbell dings.  Regina didn't recall them expecting any company.  She opens the door to find Sheriff Swan. {wearing her red jacket} Henry invited Emma.  Irate Regina asks Emma if she honestly believes she would be invited to her house for diner after all the threats she made against her family.  Emma reveals she's not there for dinner- she's there for her/you.  Regina turns around and Henry and their dinner are not there.  She turns back to the door to find Emma, Archie, Mary Margaret, David, Grumpy and Granny.  Emma tells her "they all did" (come for her.)   Regina turns away to see Henry standing there with rope hanging off his right shoulder.

Emma and Archie tied Regina to a tree in the middle of the street in the town. The angry villagers with torches, include 7 Dwarfs, Snow White/Mary Margaret and Prince Charming/David/James holding hands, Little Red Riding Hood/Ruby, Granny and little Henry
Regina commands to be "let go!"
Ruby- "After what you've done to all of us!"
Archie- "Apologies, Your Majesty. But my conscience is clear!"
Leroy/Grumpy - "You're not Queen anymore, sister!"
Granny yells out "Tighter! She needs to feel our pain!"
Mary Margaret- "You took our love and ripped it apart!
David- "And now you're gonna pay!"
Emma takes a black apple from the tree and crushes it in her hands; it pours its blackness on to the street. "Rotten to the core."
Desperate Regina sounds panicked and starts to sob. "I just wanted to win... for once."
Emma grabs her by her throat. "You took away our happiness and now it's our turn to take away yours.
Regina is confused. "What?"
Prince Charming/David/James presents Emma with a large sword.  Despairing Regina begs Henry, "Please don't let them do this to me."
Henry- "You did this to yourself."  He backs away and Emma swings the sword at Regina.
Regina bolts awake in her bed. It was a dream.
  
Regina runs into check on Henry and sees the covered bulk- she is relieved.  Sadly she assumed it was Henry's sleeping body under the covers.  But Henry is on his way out of Storybrooke with Emma.

Emma is driving Henry in her bug.  Henry sees that in the backseat there is a bunch of stuff. "Is that all your stuff?"  Emma tells him "All I need."   Henry gets upset that Emma wants to leave now. Emma's getting him out of there; away from all of this- away from her/Regina.  Henry demands she stop the car. "You can't leave Storybrooke. You have to break the curse!"   Emma says she doesn't. "I have to help you."
Henry- "But you're a hero, you can't run! You have to help everybody."
Emma knows it's hard for him to see it, but explains she's doing what's best for him. "That's what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke."
Henry- "But the  curse! You're the only chance to bring back the happy endings."  He sees they're just about to pass the LEAVING STORYBROOKE marker and pushes on the wheel to cause the car to crash off the road and under a weeping willow tree.  This upsets Emma as he could have gotten them killed.  Henry is very panicked and he begs Emma "Please! Please! Don't make me go! We can't go! Everything's here. Me, your parents, your family. Please, Emma, they need you. Your family needs you!"

King George confronts his prisoner; his pretend son, the Prince.  "Did you think that I would let you get away? Hmm? You appear to have had quite the adventure since then."
David-"Whatever it is you're gonna do to me, get on with it!"   The knights raise the Prince eye level to the King.
King- "I took you in as my son and you betrayed me! I would have given you everything. the crown, the Kingdom- all you had to do was marry King Midas' daughter. But you decided to follow true love."
Prince- "Losing my life for love... that's a sacrifice I am happy to make."
King- "As you wish."
The Prince is placed in the guillotine and the King commands the faceless executioner to "Release the blade."

The blade descends and on it's way down to beheading the Prince, it is magically transformed into water.  The King asks "What is the meaning of this?"  Regina comes strolling in wanting the man he pretends is his son. "And I'm prepared to pay any riches Midas promised you in return for him."
The King wonders "What do you plan to do to him?"  Regina promises he'll suffer, "Far more than some swift and simple beheading."   The King asks "How?"   Regina will use him to destroy his one true love. "By using him to bring an end to Snow White."

Distant Regina looks out her closed window.  Then she heads outside to her prized and precious tree; the one she said she's had since childhood- and picks a rotting apple off of her now dying tree.  She is pissed off.

Regina storms into Mr. Gold's dark shop sharing the news that "My tree is dying. Why?"  Mr. Gold suggests "Perhaps its your fertilizer."   He smirks. {He is sure to carry a pen around most of this scene.}   Regina thinks it's a sign of the curse weakening... "Because of Emma. But do you care? No. You're content to just sit back and do whatever it is you're doing. While all my hard work burns."
Mr. Gold- "That's not all. Come on- you may as well get everything off your chest."
Regina doesn't know what he's talking about. Mr. Gold informs her that Miss Swan wants Henry.
Regina- "She'll have that boy over my dead body."
Mr. Gold- "The curse was meant to take away Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness.  Perhaps you giving up Henry is just the price to keep the curse unbroken.
Regina would rather just get rid of her.

Mr. Gold - "Whew! Well, well. You're gonna have to be quite creative. We both know the repercussions off killing Miss Swan..."  Both of them state at the same time "...the curse would be broken."
Regina- "That's because you designed it that way. Undo it."
Mr Gold scoffs. "You know, even if I wanted to- I couldn't.  Magic... well, is in short supply around here, and dwindling by the minute."
Regina thinks "You want the curse broken. Why?"
Mr. Gold- "That's not something I care to discuss."
Regina- "Don't bother. You can shove your reasons. I want to strike a new deal. One where I can get rid of Emma without shattering the curse."
Gold- "Unfortunately for you a negotiation requires two interested parties and I'm already planning a trip."
Desperate Regina will give him anything.
Mr. Gold- "Oh. You no longer have anything that I want, Dearie.  But I'll give you a piece of advice free of charge.  I'd plan a trip of your own. Because once people waking up and remember who you are and what you did to them... there going to be looking for blood."  He puts his pen down and spins the black globe on its axis.

In the school yard Regina places her calling card onto Paige's banana seat, high handle bar bicycle license plate.

Mary Margaret pours herself a glass of orange juice when Emma comes in with her belongings.  Mary Margaret thought she left; but couldn't tell for sure because she didn't bother to say goodbye.  She reminds Emma of things thing she told her when she decided to run.  "We have to stick together. That we're like... family."    Emma apologizes and knows she shouldn't have left.  Mary Margaret basically sounds like a pissed off and disappointed mother.  Emma tells her she doesn't want to be sheriff, she doesn't want people relying on her, she doesn't want this- any of it.  Mary Margaret asks "What about Henry?"
Emma admits she took him with her and this makes Mary Margaret upset. "You abducted him."
Emma- "Maybe."
Mary Margaret- "So, you don't want people to rely on you but you took your son. Now that sounds like a stable home for him. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Emma claims to want what's best for him, but Mary Margaret questions "And running is what's best for him? Or is that what's best for you? You're reverting, Emma... into the person you were before you got here and I thought you'd changed."
Emotionless Emma replies "You thought wrong."  Mary Margaret feels she has to do what's right for Henry now.
Lost Emma asks "What's that?"   Mary Margaret advises "Oh, I don't know. Your his mother. That's your job. So you figure it out."

Snow White looks through her telescope and states "If we're going to get him out we're going to have to go over that wall. There's a soldier on every parapet."  Granny feels their going to some "air support."  Grumpy {with a crossbow and arrow} knows just the person who can help them; one who owes him a favor.  Red arrives.  Grumpy informs her "Uh, Red. You've got someone on your chin", indicating she just attacked someone.  She found out "Your Prince is still alive."  She doesn't look happy because she also heard word the Queen is here.  Snow realizes "She knew I'd come for him."   Granny feels it's a trap.  Snow agrees, but she can't stop now.  She will understand if they want to turn back.  In unison all say "No!"  Happy Snow knows there's no time to waste.  Red asks Snow why the Queen is doing this. 
Snow- "I destroyed her happiness and now she wants to destroy mine."

Prince Charming sits alone handcuffed in his cell.  The Evil Queen arrives with two guards and commands they "Leave us."   She magically opens the cell door.  The Queen looks over the merchandise, the Prince, seeing what the allure is.  She reaches out to touch him and he pushes her hand away.  The Queen wonders if he'll be so incorruptible after his precious Snow is gone.
The Prince- "Whatever she did to you, leave her alone and take my life instead."
The Queen- "Oh, who said anything about taking a life? Oh, no... I have a far more satisfying brand of punishment for her."  She strolls out of the cell and proudly presents a large red apple from a velvet pouch.

Troubled Regina looks out her closed window into the yard with her sad tree.  Angry Jefferson enters flipping the White Rabbit calling card she left as a message {on Paige's bicycle license plate} over and over in his left hand.  He made it clear he watches his daughter.
Regina- "It must be so painful your daughter Paige being oh-so near."
Annoyed Jefferson corrects Regina; his daughter's name is Grace.  Regina should know that as she's the one who changed it. Regina wants Jefferson's help. {She's pouring two glasses of alcohol}
Jefferson- "And what makes you think... I won't kill you after everything you've done?"
Regina- "Because you don't have it in you. If you did you would have done it 28 years ago when I brought you here. Because you know if I'm dead you'll never get back to your daughter. And I have a way for us to both get what we want."  She offers him one of the glasses and he puts the White Rabbit card into it.

 

Then Regina presents him with his hat box.
Jefferson- "My hat."  He opens the box.  Regina wants him to use it again, but Jefferson can't make it work- no one can. "Not here. Not without magic."  Regina feels he's in luck because she happens to have some. "Not a lot. But hopefully enough... for one last journey."
Jefferson- "Where?"
Regina- "Back to our land- where there's a solution to a very delicate problem I have. How to get rid of the one person who can break my curse."
Jefferson- "Emma. And why shouldn't I let her do just that? End the madness and go home."
Regina scoffs- "To your hovel? Selling fungus at the fair? Why?  When you could just stay here in that mansion I gave you? My problem, Jefferson, is the same as yours. It's family. We both want our children back and we both can get them, if we work together."
Jefferson- "Why should I trust you now?"
Regina- "You shouldn't. But it's the only offer you've got. After we're through I'll wake up your dear Grace so she remembers who you are."
Jefferson- "No! Remembering is the worst curse. Two lives in her head like me. I want to forget. I want you to write us a new story. A fresh start, here."
Regina- "Well, my dear Jefferson, that's exactly what you'll have...  Oh, after we take care of Miss Swan."


Under the full moon, Snow White and her army hear the wolf howl.
Snow White- "Thank you, Red. Do it!"
The little army prepares to go over the wall. They launch their crusade with a flaming arrow.  As they put their hoods on and move out, Grumpy whispers "I miss Stealthy."  All of the fairies are hovering in the night sky with bags of fairy dust, ready to attack when the flaming arrow signals their mark.  They fly and buzz their way over the water toward the Castle.

Snow White is the first to head over the wall where she throws a dagger and stabs a Knight- also fighting other who attacks her. The rest of Snow's army follows upward.  Snow and her army are merciless.
They make their way to the courtyard and take on the Knights there too.  All seems to be won, when they turn to make way into the castle and are confronted by more Knights and the Knights they just took down returned back to life,  all surrounding them.  In come the colorful flying fairies- dropping their fairy dust bombs. All the Knights go down.  Snow and her army run...

...Henry hurries and knocks on August's door. {Room 2}.  Henry looks nervous and anxious.   He begs August for his help. "Emma wants to leave."
August- "What? Slow down."
Henry- "You were gonna make her believe- You have to!"
August seems disappointed. "I know, Henry. I'm sorry. I- I failed."  He says he tried to show her. "First is was my legs and now... now take a look at the unvarnished truth."  He shows Henry his left arm- which happens to look varnished.  Henry is surprised. "It's wood."
August- "Yes."   August wiggles the fingers on his wood arm.

Henry seems stunned and validated. "All of this... I was right- the curse. It's real!"
August- "You're a smart kid."
Henry- "And you're Pinocchio!"
August- "What gave it away?"
Henry- "But, why are you turning back to wood? Your story- You should be real."
August- "I'm changing back because I haven't exactly been a good boy. And... (He struggles to kneel down to Henry's eye level) well, if the curse doesn't break- this doesn't stop."
Henry- "So we show Emma that you're turning back into the puppet you were, and the she has to believe. And when she does she can break the curse."
August- "I tried that.  She doesn't want to to see, so she doesn't. There's nothing more that I can do. I, I'm getting tired. It's hard to ride. It's hard to walk. Soon it's gonna be hard to breathe."
Henry- "So we have to do something fast."
August- "There's nothing to do. And with what little time I have left, I want to spend it with my father."
Henry- "Marco."
August- "Told you you were a smart kid."   August sees Henry to the door.
Henry- "So everyone is giving up?"
August- "I'm afraid that I don't have a choice. I'm sorry kid, but I'm out of Operation Cobra. Now it's up to you."   He closes the door on Henry.

Archie and desperate Emma are meeting at Granny's.  {Emma wears her red jacket.} Archie is sorry "I'm afraid you don't have any case for custody."   Even after everything Regina's done; which Emma can't prove.  Archie asks her "With this war raging on who is getting hurt here?"   Emma knows it's Henry. "But isn't it a good thing that he's spending time with me? I'm his mother."
Archie- "Yes you are. And so is Regina. And look, the court is gonna come in and look at him and see how he's been since you've come into his life."
Emma- "He's been happier, right?"
Archie- "Maybe. I mean objectively? He's skipped school, stolen a credit card, run off, endangered himself repeatedly. And so in the eyes of the law it's not so..."
Emma- "What about in your eyes? What do you think?"
Archie really thinks things over. "A while ago I told you to engage him in his fantasy life and perhaps it was wrong, because he's only retreated further into it."
Emma- "You think he's better off with her?"
Archie- "I never said that."
Emma whispers to him "Do you think that she would ever hurt him?"
Archie is adamant. "No. Never.  Everyone else, but not him. Look, right or wrong her actions have all been defensive. I'm not judging but ... in many ways your arrival has woken a sleeping dragon."
Emma- "Tell me honestly, has he been better off since I got here?"
Archie seems troubled. "Ohh, it's not a matter of better off. It's a matter of this war has to end. If you two are going to be in his life you have to figure out the best way to do that."

Snow White hurries into the dark prison that is housing Charming behind bars.  Happy Snow takes the key ring, opens the cell door and rushes in to see that Charming is behind glass/mirror- she can't get to him.  Charming tells upset Snow that the Queen to him to her palace.
Defeated Snow- "But I'm rescuing you."
Charming lets out a little laugh and puts his hand up against the glass and she puts her there.
Teary Snow asks "Is this always gonna be our life, taking turns finding each other?"  Teary eyed Charming tells her they'll be together, "I know it. Have faith."
The mirror/glass magically transforms to show the entertained Evil Queen in Charming's' place. "Hahaha. I just had to stop you. I have no interest in cleaning tongue marks off my mirror."
Snow- "Let him go. Your fight is with me."
Queen- "My thoughts exactly.  Have you ever heard of a Parley? We break off all this messy fighting and have a little talk. Just you and me. Come unarmed."
Snow- "Where do I meet you?"
Queen- "Where it all began."

Snow disarms while she tells her little army not to talk her out of this. "The castle is secure."  Grumpy suggests she keep her little knife between her tuffets. But Snow promised to come unarmed "It's a Parley. There are rules."  Red feels Snow is too noble for her own good. Snow doesn't think so. "But enough of you have risked your lives because of something that's between the Queen and me. I will not let anyone else get hurt because of me."
Red- "Except you."   Snow thanks her for her concern, "But this ends today."  Grumpy and the gang feel they can't let her go. But Snow isn't asking. She thanks them for their support "I love each and every one of you. But this is something I have to do... alone."  Snow leaves.  Red informs the gang "I don't like this. I don't trust that Queen."

Regina leads Jefferson down into a dark vault where she reveals this is where she's kept the last bit of her magic.  "The only magic in this world is in the things I brought with me."  Unimpressed Jefferson places his hat on the floor and waits. "It's not spinning. It's not working."  Regina feels it needs to absorb the magic that's here. "I have some things left. A few trinkets."  She pours out these few small trinkets from a little box she took off a shelf.   Again they wait, but nothing happens. Jefferson picks up the hat and even tilts it; none of the trinkets fall out.  He feels it's not enough. "We need something that still works."  So heartbroken Regina pulls out the twisted ring Daniel gave to her.  Jefferson asks "Who's that?"  Regina only replies that it's someone long gone.
Jefferson- "Well, whatever or whoever it is, it still has magical properties. Gimme that- let me see what I can do with it."  Regina is reluctant to hand it over.  Jefferson tells her "If you want your son back, if you want your revenge give it to me."  

Regina doesn't hand him the ring, she puts the ring into Jefferson hat. There is only a little bit of weak spin, electrical activity and whooshing. Regina wonders what's wrong. "Why isn't opening a portal?"
Jefferson- "The magic- it's not enough. We can't go anywhere."
Regina- "Well then you failed."
Jefferson- "Maybe not! There's enough magic to touch the other side, just not to get us there. There might be enough to reach through and retrieve something."
Curious Regina asks "I can bring something back?" 
Jefferson- "Is there an object that can help you? Perhaps I can open it enough and reach through and grab  it. It would have to be small. Something that you can take with your hand. Is there anything like that that can help you? "
Regina- "Yes. Yes, I believe there is."
Jefferson- "Then you need to direct me to the time and place where this object exists."
Regina- "How?"
Jefferson- "Think about it. Guide the hat."
Regina closes her eyes, deep in thought. With that, that is enough to get the hat in action.
Jefferson still seems unimpressed. "Excellent. It appears to be working. Now what is it we're after?"
Regina- "An apple."

Melancholy Evil Queen waits for Snow in the stable where she had and her lost her love, Daniel.  Snow arrives and Regina has her follow her to the field.  Regina asks Snow "Do you remember when I ran down your runaway horse? Do you remember when I saved your life?"  Of course Snow remembers. She also recalls "It all looks the same."  Regina shows her a difference- a grave- Daniel's grave.

Snow is confused. "Daniel? I thought..."
Regina "Ran away. I told you that to spare your feelings out of ... kindness. But he died because of you."
Snow is at a loss for words, she can only say "I'm sorry."  Regina is sorry too, as nothing can change what happened. "What you did. You promised to keep my secret. You promised- but you lied."
Snow- "I was very young and your mother..."
Regina can only see her own selfish and angry side of that unfortunate event. "She ripped his heart out- because of you!  Because you couldn't listen to me."
Snow is realizing Regina's pain- "You took my father. Haven't we both suffered enough?!"
Regina- "No!"  She presents a morsel/apple. "Did you know that apples stand for health and wisdom?"
Concerned Snow wonders why she gets the feeling that one might kill her.
Regina- "It won't kill you. No, what it will do is far worse. Your body will be your tomb and you'll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets."
Snow- "You're going to force me to eat it."
Regina- "Of course not. It wouldn't work anyway. The choice is yours. It must be taken willingly.
Snow "And why would I do that?"
Regina- "Because if you refuse the apple... your Prince... your Charming... will be killed.  As I said, the choice is yours."
Crying Snow verifies "I take that apple and he lives- that's the deal you want to make?"
Regina- "With all my heart."
Snow bites the apple. And as she falls asleep, Charming is waking up in his cell 
Charming wakes up knowing something has happened and yells "What have you done to her?! What have you done?! Snow!"

Sleeping Snow lets go of the bit apple and it rolls down the hill and appears, popping up into the vault where Jefferson catches it.  He holds the bit apple and asks "Is this it?"  Regina is pleased.
Jefferson- "My daughter, my Grace?"
Selfish Regina tells him "First things first. The deal's not done. Not until I solve the next conundrum. How to get this savior to taste my forbidden fruit."

We see Regina cut up and bake a triangle shape apple turnover.

Emma shows up needing to talk to her. Regina imagines they do; she was just about to call Emma.  She invites Emma in, also welcomes her to do what she's so skilled at "And make yourself at home."  Emma looks around the house.  She tells Regina that this isn't easy "I think that this... whatever is between us needs to end. {Regina agrees} I want to make a deal with you about Henry."
Regina- "I'm not making any deals with you."
Emma seems anxious and unsure- "I'm leaving town. This... what we're doing, is a problem... and I'm gonna go, but I have conditions. I still get to see Henry. I get to visit and spend time, whatever."
Regina- "And you get to see him. You're still in his life."
Emma- "Look, in any deal both parties are a little unhappy. But lets be honest, we both know the world where I'm not in his life no longer exists and there's no one who can do anything about that."
Just then the oven timer beeps. Regina tells Emma she's right. "Would you mind following me for a moment?"

Regina removed her special single apple turnover from the oven. She asks Emma "So, what are you proposing?"  Emma doesn't know, but that they'll "figure it out as we go."  Regina confirms, "But he's my son."   Hesitant Emma simply says yeah.  This makes Regina smile. As Emma turns to leave Emma stops her, offering her the apple turnover for the road.  "If we're going to be in each other's lives, it's time we start being cordial. My famous turnovers. Old recipe. But delicious."  Emma takes it, thanks her, but is clearly cautious.  Regina hopes she likes apples.


Red hurries into the stable to find Snow. She tells Granny she knows Snow was there as she can smell it.
From the distance Grumpy calls out that they found her.  Upset Grumpy found her lying there. Red uses Granny's dagger to check for breath on the blade. Sleepy says "Maybe she's just sleepin'." Red determines "She has no breath. She's gone. She sacrificed herself for true love."
Grumpy adds "She sacrificed herself for all of us."

The Evil Queen sits at her desk in her castle watching the goings on at Snow White's side via her mirror. "It would appear sacrifice is overrated. Hahahaha. Speaking of..."   She snaps her fingers and the mirror magically changes channels to show her Prince Charming in his cell yelling "What have you done to her?!"

Regina shows up at Mr. Gold's shop. She hopes he bought travel insurance because nobody is going anywhere; she found a solution to her Emma Swan problem.  Mr. Gold doesn't seem impressed at all until proud and happy Regina mentions it's an old reliable solution.
Mr. Gold- "A Sleeping Curse. May I ask how you managed to obtain one here in Storybrooke?"
Regina- "By sacrificing the last bit of magic from magic I had left."
Mr. Gold- "So, you made magic from magic. Well I'm sure I don't have to remind you that all magic comes at a price."
Regina- "Then you can pay it. Because now... the curse is gonna be stronger than ever and you will be right here where you belong."

Mr. Gold walks away from her and she's puzzled by that.  She asks "Don't you understand? I won! So whatever plan you had, whatever reason you wanted the curse broken... too bad. Because it's never gonna happen."  She spins the tan color globe on its axis and walks out.

Henry shows up at Emma's {door 3. and note the globe} asking if everything's okay; she sounded strange over the walkie.  She's okay and explains that yesterday when she tried to take him away that he was right. "I can't take you out of Storybrooke... but I can't stay either."  She has to go.

This troubles and confuses Henry.  Emma tells the boy that she and Regina made a deal that she can see him- just not every day.  Henry is getting very upset. "No. You can't trust her."  Emma feels she has to it's her only choice "It's what's best for you, Henry. Every time I fight her someone else gets hurt."
Henry- "No. No. No. You're just scared. This happens to all heroes. It's just the low moment before you fight back."
Now Emma is crying, desperate to reach Henry. She kneels down to his eye level. "Henry. This isn't a story, this is reality... and things have to change.  You can't skip school, you can't run away and... you can't believe in curses."
Henry- "You really don't believe?"
Emma- "I...  This is how it has to be right now. I made a deal and I used my superpower- she's telling the truth, she's gonna take really good care of you."
Henry- "Yes. But she wants you dead."  {He knows that}
Emma- "Come on, Henry!"
Henry- "You're the only one that can stop her!"
Emma- "Stop her from what? All she's ever done is fight for you. It just... got out of hand. I'm sorry."
Henry hugs her tight and notices the triangle turnover on the table. He sees it's apple and warns Emma not to eat it. "You can't eat that- it's poison.  Don't you see, the deal, it was all a trick to get you to eat that. To get rid of the savior."
Emma- "Henry, come on. Why would she do that when I told her I was gonna go?"
Henry- "Because as long as you're alive you're a threat to the curse!"
Emma- "Henry, you've got to stop thinking like this."
Henry is fired up. "But it's the truth! And you leaving isn't gonna change that!"
Emma wants to prove it to him by eating the turnover, but he grabs it from her, "I'm sorry it had to come to this. You may not believe in the curse, or in me, but I believe in you."
He takes a bite and Emma says "See. You wanna some ice cream to go with that? And we can get back to talking about..."  Henry falls to the floor- asleep.