Child of the Moon

“Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.” - Mark Twain

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


Can you see the real me? 

When I was a little girl I would sit for hours and hours thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I'd imagine myself in many roles, trying to see what role would be the best fit.  But what did I know; I was just a kid imagining some fanciful things. Perhaps it is a little exercise we all do in our youth in exploring self and the person we long to be. But there is so much more to us than just a job we fill. We are more special and powerful than we can imagine.

So, who are you?

We spend our lives trying to discover our true self.  We've all thought about it and wondered... Who am I, really?  Where do I fit in? What is my purpose in life?  Can the real you be found?  We are multi-faceted beings and we go through a lot to try to understand the many layers of ourselves. Through our good and bad life experiences light is shed, illuminating a little bit more of our true self.  For some people it is a tragic experience that leads them to seeing their true self. They had to be completely broken and lost and had to rebuild themselves from nothing into someone new.  We're diamonds in the rough. Mother Superior tells Henry about the fairy dust process- You grind them up, refine them. That's a good example of changing form and having a new life and new purpose.

Can you hide any of these facets or should we let the light shine on them and learn to be one with all of them?

We all have beauty inside of us but we also have a beast inside of us too. Some people are afraid of who they really are and hide parts of themselves away. For Red/Ruby, her cloak ends up being a crutch for her fear of turning into the wolf and dreading her wolf side and wild nature, believing it is completely bad.  She had to come face to face with herself.  Once she learns a few things about that side of her she can see the truth, gain control and is no longer afraid- she is free.  It's an awakening.

Although we learn about the two sides of Ruby in this episode, we do get a nod to the Native American Indian Spirit Guides and Totems.

Free your mind
Dreamscape

Henry, in a way, could be considered a "child of the moon", in that his sleep time allows him to travel to another place.  Henry is learning not to fear his altered state of consciousness. Mr. (Dr.) Gold gave Henry encouragement in the form of his words and with his talisman remedy to not let fear overshadow control of his dreaming experience. Without being fearful Henry can gain control of himself and the environment... and calm Aurora.  Henry and Aurora are sharing more than a lucid dream- it's a consciousness level outside of time and space; where they exist in the same mind space where they can communicate with each other.  You can think of it like a shared video game; a multi-player experience. But this type of experience can take place under many other conditions such as, of course, a curse or spell, but more realistically through meditation and even the use of drugs can aid in such an adventure.

Both Henry and Red/Ruby are guided through an experience of a sort of higher consciousness where they are able to alter a form of themselves (lit. shape-shift for Ruby) and let go and move beyond the confines of the human body. This makes Ruby feel more alive than ever before.


Child of the moon

Red/Ruby longed to be part of Anita's pack, her family, but David and Henry are also longing to be reunited with their family. And let's not forget that Spencer's anger comes from not having a family.  For Red/Ruby, she felt lied to by Granny, but Granny has only been doing what she feels is best to protect her Ruby. Parents do whatever they can to protect their children.

We see that Belle has clarity about people and things, and Ruby gains clarity.  Yet I kind of feel that as much clarity and freedom Anita and the pack seemed to have, she and they still had some unresolved issues in understanding coexisting with their own human side and humans in general.

So maybe they're all children of the moon- maybe they all have a little wolf in them.



Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑  The diamonds discovered overhead in the dark mine looks more the sparkling stars in the night sky.
๑  Mr. Gold's medical bag, jars and the cabinets that contain hearts are apothecary in nature and used by Alchemists.
๑  First Aid Kit: Gold/Rumple has a medical Doctor bag that contains apothecary/spell/ritual items and potions.
๑  FYI- Anita is my mother's name.
๑  Spencer/King George doesn't call Fairy Tale Land home he calls it "the old world." 
๑  Mother Anita is part wolf, yet wears feather motif.
 - "Hope is the thing with feathers" - Emily Dickinson
๑   Regina woke Henry from the nightmare and his left hand is burned.
๑   Dr. Gold/Rumple?  House call
๑   Diamonds
๑   Eyes
๑   Stream
๑   Arrow
๑   Station
๑   Hatch
๑   Cabin
๑   Sunk- sink (Sync)
๑   Mutiny (Ship)
๑   Harbored
๑   Dock
๑   Perception
๑   In Red Handed Granny tells a tale about her, the hunting party and the wolf. Later Granny reveals she has some traits of the wolf.
๑ Belle/Emilie de Ravin played Claire on LOST.  On ONCE Belle has clarity, she can see the truth. She is also nurturing.
๑ Awaken

Vocabulary and Research...

๑  Child of the Moon:  The Rolling Stones- B side to Jumping Jack Flash
    - Child of the Moon: Shakira's 2009 single "She Wolf."
๑  Mead: Honey wine
- George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) was an American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist
- a meadow
- Mi'ad, also misspelled "mead", an Arabic term for resurrection
๑  Ruby:
- Gemstone
- The brightest and most valuable "red" called pigeon blood-red, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. It's the birthstone for July Latin for Red
- A programming language
๑ The Wolf is a predominant animal.
- Pack (canine), a group of wolves that live, feed, and travel as a family group
- In Native American culture the wolf pays many different roles.
Native American Astrology: Birth and animal totem: Here are a few...
Wolf- Birth totem wolf individuals arrive on this plane of existence to learn the gift of the seer. Starting Totems: Wolf, buffalo, frog, plantain, jade and brown bear.  
Bird:
- Symbolism- Mother
Mouse:
- Looking at life in great detail, awareness of surroundings, and finding your way.  Mouse medicine is one of the strongest amongst our animal allies, but is often over looked because he's small.

๑ Anita: means Grace, merciful
-  Amblypodia Anita: species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Asia
๑ Quinn: In Goidelic/Gaelic the name represents priest, or chieftain with added emphasis on wisdom and loyalty.
 -The New York Triology a series of novels by Paul Auster: the protagonist in the story is Daniel Quinn  1). City of Glass 2). Ghosts 3). The Locked Room
๑  One of Us is a novel  by Michael Marshal Smith.  The plot centers on a small time ne'er-do-well, ex barman who has found a lucrative line as a REM temp taking care of people's unwanted dreams and memories. However when he finds himself burdened with a memory of a murder he is forced to find the real culprit and face up to his own past mistakes.
๑  Mutiny: is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject
๑  Mahabhuta: In the Mahabharata mention is made of Chitragupta (lit. "hidden picture").  He is the son of Brahma and a minister of Dharma and his duty is to examine a list of the good and evil actions of men (the Agrasamdhani) after their death. "Nothing is lost of either piety or sin that is committed by creatures. On days of the full moon and the new moon, those acts are conveyed to the Sun where they rest. When a mortal goes into the region of the dead, the deity of the Sun bears witness to all his acts. He that is righteous acquires the fruits of his righteousness there."

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈  Claire was lied to and told her father died when she was two
✈  We/I have work to do
✈  Eyes
✈  (Jack) Shephard
✈  Diamonds
✈  Cabin (in the woods) Jacob's cabin
✈  Arrow (Station)
✈  Hatch (Swan Station)
✈  Sunk- sink (Sync)
✈  Further Instructions:  John Locke was told by Boone he could bring the family back together.
✈  I'm also noting the episode  ?  (Question Mark)
✈  Nobody does it alone
✈  "What's the point in being afraid? "
✈  Shannon needed someone (Sayid) to believe her/in her
✈  Ben Linus stole Alex from Danielle. The others kidnapped Waaaaalt.  Kate raised Aaron for a while.
✈  The Moth-  Hooded Charlie is involved in a cave in with Jack and is there to rescue him.
✈  Good win- Goodwin
✈  In S6 Widmore returns Desmond to the Island; referred as the Package
✈  A few examples of the refrigerator/freezer and food pantry:
- Jin was held prisoner by Keamy in the walk in refrigerator/freezer in  The Package- and in Sundown
-  Sayid was held in a food pantry in  Enter 7 7 and  Namaste
- Everybody Hates Hugo
- Dave:  Hurley's hidden pantry in the jungle 
- Follow the Leader
- Adrift: Kate finds the food pantry and Apollo Bars
- Orientation:  Desmond- "...The projector's in the pantry."
- Lockdown:  Henry Gale climbs up through the pantry in the hatch
- The Cost of Living:  Eko and Yemmi
- S.O.S.:  Rose organizes a food pantry on the beach
- Cabin Fever:  Gault instructs Sayid and Desmond to the food pantry below the galley
✈  One of Us : Sayid was chained to a swing for 3 days, handcuffs, Juliet's "trip" to the "Island", Mittelos BioScience, Anagram for Herarat Avaiation: A Variation Earth or A Variation Heart.


Enough of my rambling... Here's your episode recap! Enjoy!

The Dwarfs are down in the mine working hard on trying to find dust/diamonds so the fairies can help bring Snow and Emma back home. Happy commands his brothers to put their pickaxes down; he's buying the first round and Granny's running a 2 for 1 special on mead. The Dwarfs are excited to hit happy hour- except for Leroy/Grumpy. He's very motivated to help Charming, "We got work to do."  Happy tries to reason with him noting Leroy's tired- they all are and could use a break. Focused Leroy takes three hard whacks at the rock wall and ends up bursting through it, falling into a cave opening.

Charming speeds over to the mine in the Sheriff's car.  Once in the mine he shines is flashlight down into the opening where Leroy tumbled down into, and finds him along with Doc, Dopey, Bashful and Sneezy. The light from the flashlight reveals that the magic brought the diamonds back.

Mother Superior/the Blue Fairy tells Henry these are the diamonds that they'll use to make fairy dust. "We just need to refine them. Grind them up." She asks Charming if he still has what remains of Jefferson's hat; he presents it to her. Mother Superior tells him to lock it up and keep it safe. "By this time tomorrow we'll have enough magic dust to make it work again."  Henry and Charming are hopeful and happy because they're bringing Emma and Mary Margaret home.

The gang is celebrating and toasting (with mead) over at Granny's.  While cleaning up a booth Ruby is surprised a visit from Billy. They haven't had any time to talk since things changed. He confesses he recalls who he was "back home"- being a mouse named Gus that lived in Cinderella's pantry. He ate cheese, gnawed on wood.  Billy wants to buy Ruby a drink after her shift. "I already know Ruby. I want the chance to meet Red."  Nervous Ruby begins to say that tonight's not great, and is met by Belle, who finishes Ruby's sentence... "Um, we have, um, plans."  Billy looks disappointed. Ruby explains it's Girls Night and she's bringing the cheese. "That's right. Which has nothing to do with you being a mouse, it has to do with the... wine."
Billy- "Okay. Um, maybe next time." He leaves and Ruby thanks Belle.
Belle- "I can spot a girl in trouble. He, he seems really nice."
Ruby checks out the time on the clock and replies "It's really complicated."

Charming and his mead walk over to Henry sitting alone in a booth. Charming asks "Is that coffee?"
Henry says no; although not the truth.  Charming realizes the boy is trying to stay up. "Still worried about those nightmares? {The kid nods 'yes'.} Well, don't be. 'Cause when you go to sleep tonight, I'm gonna be right in the next room. Now, maybe loose the java and go grab a cocoa."  Henry smiles and leaves the booth. Spencer/King George immediately takes the seat Henry just vacated and congratulates the new sheriff.
Charming- "What are you doing here?"
Spencer- "You may have taken care of me in the old world, but in this one... we get another go at each other."
Charming- "Whenever you're ready."
Spencer- "It's a big moment for you, isn't it? On your way to getting your family back."
Charming is a bit smug, "Yeah, it must be hard for you. You know, watching good win."
Spencer- "Good?  You're so sure of yourself. But I know the truth. You're still just a shepherd pretending to be a Prince. You weren't fit to run the Kingdom and you sure as hell aren't fit to run this town."
Charming- "Well, I think the people of Storybrooke might disagree with you."
Spencer- "Today. But I'm going to see to it that they see things my way, and that they see you for who you really are. By the time I'm done with you you'll wish you'd kill me when you had the chance."
Charming gets up "The people of this town know who I really am. And they've seen me defeat you before. So if you want to try and take me down... they'll see it again."  Neither man is intimidated by the other; both share a smug and cocky smile with each other. We see that Spencer is angry.

In the kitchen, Charming comes upon Granny welding a cage out of the walk in freezer/refrigerator to house Ruby; tonight's the first full moon since the curse broke- it's the first night of Wolf's-time.  Granny keeps busy with her construction project (padlock w/key)- keeping herself in the room with them. {BTW, Granny has 38 frozen lasagnas} Charming's aware Ruby figured out how to control the wolf in her ages ago.  Ruby admits that thanks to the curse she hasn't turned in 28 years and she might be rusty. "I can't let what happened last time- what happened to Peter happen to anyone else."
Charming wonders about her red hood- it keeps her from turning.  Ruby looked everywhere for it; even went to Gold. "It's not in town. I don't think it came over with the curse."  Charming, knowing Ruby feels adamant that they all trust her and Wolf's-time or not, she won't hurt anyone tonight.  But Ruby can't afford to take any chances. Granny locks Ruby in the walk in cage.

Snow and Red run from the Queen's army though the dark forest. Thinking that they lost them, the girls are confronted by a soldier. Snow fights him off and the girls take off running again but Snow is stopped in her tracks when she sees her wanted poster posted on a tree. She rips it down in frustration.
The girls hid from the torch carrying soldiers.  Snow looks at the crumbled up wanted poster and wonders "She's never going to stop, is she?" Red is upset that her hood is torn and this panics Red, insisting Snow get away from her. But Snow isn't leaving her.
Red- "There's a full moon tonight. Wolf's-time is beginning. This hood is the only thing that can protect me from turning."
Snow- "It's just a tear. Maybe it'll still work."
Red is worried if it doesn't. "You saw what I did to Peter. This thing- this wolf... When it takes over me I can't control it. Please, Snow, find shelter. I'll go further into the woods and find a place to hide. For your own sake we have to split up."  Snow agrees, but just for tonight. "Let's meet up in the morning by the stream. And then we'll find a safe place for both of us- maybe a nice cabin in the woods."
Red asks Snow why she's being so kind to her, even though Snow saw what she is; a wolf.
Snow- "I know who that's not who you really are. We're in this together, Red."
Red smiles, puts her torn hood over her head and takes off deeper into the woods.  We see that a young man with glowing eyes like Red's wolf eyes, is hiding behind a tree, keeping his eyes on her.

Granny enters the diner to open up and hurries to check on Ruby. "Are you awake yet, Ruby?"
But Granny sees that her cage was no match for the wolf, as Ruby has clawed her way out.

Henry is screaming for help from inside the {Disco} inferno room.  Through the flames he can see a figure crouched down with their back turned away from him in the opposite corner of the floor/board; he calls out "Hey! Who are you?! Where are we?!"
Regina- "Henry, wake up."  She wakes him from the fiery nightmare. The boy wakes up confused. "What are you doing here? Where's David?"   Regina tells him David got an emergency call this morning and asked her to look after him. He also mentioned Henry's been having nightmares.  Regina reaches out for the boy's arm, he winces back in pain; his left hand is burned.

Armed Granny leads Charming/David through the forest to find Ruby.  They find her sleeping in/under a twig den. Granny knew where to find her.

Granny- "Ruby, wake up!"
Ruby- "Where am I? What happened?"  They help her up; telling her she's in the forest. Charming, "You must have fallen asleep here last night."
Ruby's confused; she remembers being locked up in the cage. Granny informs her the cage was torn to shreds. Ruby starts freaking out as she doesn't remember anything from last night; this is exactly what she was afraid of. She asks if she did something last night. All they know is that she broke out and ran through the woods and there's no reason to assume the worst. The sheriff gets a call on his {buzzing} cell. "Somebody left their car double parked in front of the cannery. I gotta go check it out on our way back into town."  He assures her everything's going to be okay. {Granny is nodding 'yes' too.}

Red wakes up {on rocks} claiming "It worked."  {Her cloak}
At the stream, she removes her cloak and it is taken by a young man who runs off with it. She takes off after him.
For a moment it seems as if she's lost him, but is right behind her holding her cloak over a flaming torch. "Looking for this?"  Red begs him not to (burn it) "I need that!  He asks what could she possible need that old thing for. "Unless... it protects you from something."  He knows a wolf when he sees one.  Infuriated Red tackles him to the ground. "How do you know what I am?!"  The young man now tumbles her on to her back "Because I know how to recognize a child of the moon." He shows her his glowing wolf eyes for a moment.
Red- "You're one too?"
The young man reveals "Name's Quinn. I picked up on your scent last night. You never had anyone talk to you about this, did you? Teach you about what you are."
Red- "My parents were killed by hunters when I was a baby- I was raised by my Granny..."
Quinn- "And she kept the truth from you. Made you wear that. (Red picks up her precious cloak) Still blacking out, right? Still losing control when you turn? Probably even hurt someone. I know how you feel. I've been there. But it doesn't have to be this way."
Red- "What do you mean?"
Quinn- "What if I told you there was a way to control it, so you never have to be afraid of what you might do again?"  He tells the hopeful girl to follow him.

 

 He lifts the hidden hatch door in the ground and leads her down into the ground in what used to be the Grand Hall of the Castle, until it sunk underground. "Now it's all ours."

Quinn tells her "We are all the same. Come. Anita's expecting you."
Red- "Who's Anita?"

Anita enters; revealing her glowing wolf eyes for a moment. "Well done, Quinn. You finally found her. You've grown so much."
Red- "You know me?"
Anita- "I'm your mother."  Red is confused.

Charming, Ruby and Granny arrive at the dock in the sheriff's car to find it's Billy's tow truck that is in question. Ruby smells blood. Granny finds Billy dead under the front end of the town truck and screaming Ruby discovers another body dumped into a red dumpster. "It was me! It was the wolf!"

Henry shows Gold/Rumple his burned hand. Regina was right to call him. Henry wonders if he can help. "It was just a dream."
Gold feels what Henry's describing isn't a dream; It's a side effect. Regina seems uneducated in that. Gold- "You know it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."
Regina- My victims are not supposed to wake up. So I certainly never cared what happened to them after... Until now."

Gold opens his medical/Doctor bag and prepares a remedy as he tells them more. "When people fall under a sleeping curse the soul travels to a netherworld- where it resides until awoken. Now, this world is between life and death. And it's very real. However... Even when the curse is broken, sometimes in sleep... the victims find their way back to that world... Victims like you."
Regina- "This other world is tormenting my son- Every time he sleeps. I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."
That's not possible. But Gold provides Henry with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. "And once one controls something - one no longer need fear it." He gives Henry the necklace that he filled with liquid from the blue bottle. Henry's to wear it while he's sleeping.
Gold- "Once you control the journey, the fear will stop. And then you can come and go as you please."
Regina stops Henry short of taking the necklace knowing that everything comes with a price with Gold/Rumple. Gold knows Regina couldn't afford his "house call", but this is for Henry. "This one's on me."

Back at the docks Ruby is still freaking out about the vicious attacks and blames herself; she knows it. But Charming feels it's something else. He replays that a few months ago everyone thought Mary Margaret was guilty of murder "She needed someone to believe in her, I didn't do that. I am not gonna make the same mistake with you!"
Through her tears Ruby says that Mary Margaret never killed anyone, but she has.
Charming- "I know who you really are, Ruby- Even if you've lost sight of it."
This doesn't change the fact that she's going to turn again tonight and somebody else can get hurt.  Ruby demands Charming lock her up. If the freezer couldn't hold her maybe a jail cell will. She doesn't need to be protected from other people- other people need to be protected from her.  Granny walks away with Ruby.

"Granny lied to me" Red tells Anita. {The story about Anita being killed by hunters.} Anita tells Red that granny's been lying ever since she stole her away from her when Red was just a baby.  Granny did this to hide the truth about who Red really is. "She believed the wolf was something to be ashamed of. I see things differently. Humans want us to believe we're the monsters. The moment you believe them... that's when you become one. You're not the first to learn the truth about yourself through tragedy. So many of us spent so much of our lives suppressing the wolf... they have no idea how to control it.  They just need help. Help embracing their true nature.  The only way you will ever control the wolf is by accepting it as a part of you."  Anita can teach her how. Red can start by getting rid of her red hood cape. She removes it and hugs Anita.

Charming/David locks Ruby in a jail cell. He still thinks by morning he'll find out who really killed Billy. {What about the body in the dumpster?!}
"You already have... it's that thing, that she-wolf."  Spencer enters the Sheriff's office and Charming demands he get out.  Charming doesn't want Spencer's issues with him don't involve Ruby; there's no proof Ruby had anything to do with what happened. But Spencer feels Charming is allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment- protecting his friend. Spencer knew shepherd would slip up, it was only a matter of time. Spencer wants "justice" and Ruby handed over to him to let the town decide. Charming won't do it as he knows what kind of justice Spencer has in mind.
Spencer-"This town is bigger than you think. I start telling people you're putting their lives in danger to protect your own interests you'll have a mutiny on your hands."
Charming- "Yeah, we'll see. You want her you have to go through me."
Spencer- "I look forward to that."

The moon is rising.
Anita- "It'll be like nothing you've ever felt before. The pine needles under foot. The air rushing over your fur. Your brothers and sisters at your side. Your mind won't want to believe it. It will tell you a wolf is invading your body, trying to take over. And if you believe that for even a moment- you'll black out... and lose control- like you have every other night you've turned. But.. if you give in to the wolf... you'll realize the truth... You are the wolf. {Wolf sees their reflection in a puddle- she is the wolf}  And when you accept that... you will finally be in control."

 Red wakes up to find Anita and the human pack watching over her. Anita asks her how much she remembers.
Red- "All of it."
Anita- "You finally became the wolf.
Red- "I don't have to be afraid anymore." 

 

Spencer checks the chain locks on the (back) Sheriff's door and tells the townspeople that they don't have to be afraid of this creature any longer. "We know who she is, we know where she's hiding. So why is she still alive?! Because she's being harbored by one person- David Nolan! How many more people have to die before our Prince decides to act? If he won't protect you I will."  A citizen cuts off the lock and all march into the office and find the cell empty.

Ruby is prepping to be shacked to a huge pipe next to the fire hose inside the Storybrooke Library. Charming thanks Belle for letting Ruby hide there, as the Sheriff's Station isn't safe.  Belle's happy to help. "It's not every day you find out your friend's..."
Ruby- "A monster"
Belle- "Hunted. I was going to say hunted.
Armed with her crossbow, Granny tells them "The crowd's six blocks from here."
Belle- "You, you have wolf hearing too?"
Granny- "It's not all its cracked up to be. Especially when you run a hotel."
Charming needs Granny's help to prove Ruby didn't have anything to do with Billy's death; it's the only way to get the mob to stand down.

The human-wolf pack wakes and hides from the sound of hunters.  They hear footsteps come down the stairs- it is Snow White.  Red tries to stop Quinn from choking Snow; as Snow isn't there to hurt them. Quinn wonders what other reason humans would enter their den. Frantic Red claims Snow is a friend who stood by her even after learning the truth (after she killed) "Without her I never would have been able to escape my village alive!"  Anita commands Quinn let her go.  Snow thought the Queen's men had killed Red when she didn't show up at the stream this morning.

Snow learns Red's new friends are her "pack."  Red assures Snow she doesn't have to fear them. Curious Anita asks how Snow found them.
Snow- "I tracked wolf prints here- (to Red) like you taught me."  She wasn't go to leave without Red, and suggests they go find that cabin they talked about. But Snow sees that Red wants to stay with the pack. "I don't have to be ashamed of who I am here. I found my home. I found my mother."  She also reveals that Granny lied. Red apologies to Snow, knowing she risked her life to go back there for her.  Snow understands because she would do anything to be with her mother again.  Snow assures Red she'll manage on her own, she hugs Red, thanks her and says goodbye. Red thanks Snow. All of a sudden an arrow is shot right into Quinn's chest/heart.
Snow- "They found me."  As the Queen's men command the pack stand down, Anita, without hesitation, breaks the neck of the soldier and the rest of the pack fight the others.  Quinn is gone/dies.

Ruby comes out of room 13 and tells Belle she needs to leave because the moon will be up soon. Belle is hopeful that the chains will hold so she can stay with Ruby. "Think of it as girls' night."  Although David wants to believe the best, Ruby has killed before and will do it again, and everyone in the town is right to be afraid of her.  Belle isn't afraid, "No matter what you've might have done in your past... David sees the good in you and that tells me one thing... that it's in there. So if we can all see it why can't you?"
Ruby- "You really think so?"
Belle- "Trust me, I'm sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation."
Ruby- "Maybe. Maye you're right. (She cuffs Belle) But the town's right too. I am a monster, and that's why I need to make sure I don't ever hurt anyone again." Ruby can't let Belle stop her- The town wants a wolf she's going to give them one. "I need to pay for all I've done."  Belle is upset, "They'll kill you!"
Ruby- "Isn't that what I deserve?"  {She exits out a door- B-511}

Granny sniffs Billy's work shirt for his scent and directs David- "This way."

Granny leads David to a dark/black car. In the trunk they see rope and blanket. David lifts the fake floorboard to discover Ruby's red hood/cloak and an ax. "The wolf didn't kill Billy."  David realizes Ruby will be forced to change back into a wolf so whoever killed Billy can pin the murder on her.
Granny- "Who would want to hurt my Ruby?"
David breaks the driver's side glass and finds out the owner of the car. "This isn't about Ruby- it's about me. Spencer."
Granny- "King George?"
David- "He needed a reason to wrestle power away from me so he created one."
A wolf howls in the distance- they realize Ruby is out and they're (the mob) are going to kill her.
{Granny puts the hood back}

Quinn is gone- with his eyes wide open.

Anita- "May you always run free beneath the moon's pale light."  Anita is angry with Snow for bringing the Queen's men into their den. Snow wants her to believe her that she had no idea they followed her there. Anita feels it doesn't matter. "Wherever humans go, death follows. The only way to stop them is to kill them first. Tie her up!"  When the moon rises they'll feast on a Princess; she'll pay for the life that they lost.
Red feels Anita isn't making any sense.
Anita- "You already made your choice, Red, you're one of us now- Act like it! Kill her!"
Red won't kill her friend- then Anita will, because this is what it means to be a wolf.
Wolf Red saves Snow from Wolf Anita's attack and inadvertently Anita is stabbed through the chest/heart.  Snow covers Red with her red cloak changing her back into her human form.  Red tells struggling to survive Anita that she didn't mean to... "I'm. I'm sorry mother."
Anita- "You chose her."
Red- "No. I chose me! I'm not a killer."  With that, Anita is gone/dies. {Eyes open?}

The Mob and their torches are gathered at the Storybrooke Free Public Library. {8:45 PM} The wolf's howl gets their attention. Spencer claims "She's close" and the mob marches past a chain link fence and come upon the wolf.

Spencer raises his gun to shoot it but is disarmed by crossbow Granny's arrow.
Granny- "The next one goes between your eyes!"

David arrives {with Ruby's red hood} informing the mob that Ruby didn't kill Billy- Spencer did. It was all Spencer's play to make it look like the wolf and to get the town to think David wasn't capable of leading the town as he should. {Someone in the crowd yells out "We're not sheep, David!"}  The crowd still wants to pursue the growling wolf but David pushes them back.
David- "Someone already died because of what this man did! Let's not spill more blood she won't hurt anyone. She's just scared!"  David gently makes his way toward the wolf with the red cloak.
David- "Ruby... I know you're in there. Listen to me... It was Spencer, not you. Don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster. {Ruby doesn't like the word 'monster'} Alright- poor choice of words. Please. Ruby. I know you. I know the real you, and I know you can control the wolf. {He's closer now} Ruby? Ruby {He holds his left hand out to her so she can see it's him} It's me- David."

The wolf sits (and just about bows its head to him) and David covers it with the red cloak, letting Ruby {crouched down} reappears in human form.

Ruby is relived. "You saved me."
David- "No. You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew."
Their tender moment is interrupted by the crowd's attention to Granny on the ground.  Granny tells David Spencer is gone, "Go. Go."  Ruby leaves with David in the sheriff's car.

"You think you can hide from a wolf?" Ruby asks Spencer, who is standing over a campfire. Spencer wasn't trying to hide he just wants to see the look on David's face when he tells him that he'll never see his wife and daughter again. "You really should be more cautious with something so valuable." Spencer tosses the tattered magic portal hat into the fire and David is devastated.
Spencer- "It doesn't matter how much fairy dust you gather or how much you rally the town behind you... Your family's gone."  David punches Spencer, knocking him to the ground, and then David pulls his gun on him. Ruby halts crying David, but Spencer taunts "I told you... you should have killed me when you had the chance."  David walks away from Spencer and kneels looking at the burning campfire.

In the dark forest, under the full moon, Ruby buries Anita. "May you always run free beneath the moon's pale light. Goodbye, mother." Snow hugs her, "I'm so sorry. I know what it's like to lose your family."
Red- "I didn't lose my family today... I protected it."
Snow- "Thank you."
Red- "My mother wanted me to choose between being a wolf and being a human. Granny did too. You are the only person who ever thought it was okay for me to be both."
Snow- " 'Cause that's who you are. Come on... Let's go find the cabin.

David stands over sleeping Henry and tells Ruby "He may never see his mother or grandmother again. How am I gonna break that news to him?"  Ruby feels he won't have to.  David knows that travel between worlds is as hard as it comes. "Fairy dust on it's own isn't enough- it took an entire curse to get us here in the first place- without the hat..." Ruby feels he'll find another way, because she knows him and knows he'll never give up until he does; plus he's not going to be doing this alone.  Ruby asks David to give Granny a call because Ruby may have left Belle chained up in the library and someone should go unchain her; David will take care of it.  Ruby still has a few hours of wolf's time left, "You helped me regain control. I want to do something I haven't done in a very long time... Run." She's inspired! {She removes her cloak} Ruby runs out the door and a wolf howl is heard in the distance.

In the dark forest Emma asks Snow (sitting alone and quiet) what she's doing.   Snow's just thinking. Emma shares that Mulan has some ideas where Cora might be hiding. The ladies arrive at their campsite {burning campfire} pass by sleeping Aurora.
Aurora is dreaming she is in a flaming room- she is panicked and screaming. On the other side of the flaming room stands Henry; holding onto his talisman and closing his eyes to concentrate. He tells Aurora not to be scared.

The flames die down and the room quiets, but Aurora wakes up calling out for Snow.  Aurora shares that this wasn't just another nightmare, this time it was different; there was a little boy who put out the fire and talked to her. "He said... he said his name was Henry."

Tallahassee

"Poppies... Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleeeeep. Now they'll sleeeeep." - The Wicked Witch; The Wizard of Oz

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

Somehow I must make plans to expand my postcard collection by paying a visit to Storybrooke and bordering Fantasy Land/the Enchanted Forest and all Royal, grand and glorious castles belonging to our beloved characters.


Gonna keep on tryin' til I reach the highest ground

A seed is an encased plant embryo; beans are seeds. The seeds are planted, watered, warmed by the sun and nurtured to grow. Well, there's a lot of that happening in our fairy tale. We're witnessing newly planted seeds being nurtured and grown. During this process Emma has a lot a lot to learn, but they're all learning some very important stuff.  Emotional fear has made Emma and a few other residents put up protective fences to keep out bad things, people and experiences.  But we do see a very brave Emma where Henry, family and home is concerned. She is willing to tackle obstacles for the greater good.

Magic cuffs will aid in the journey upward to the Giant's treasure and the much needed enchanted compass. Emma and her friends not only need the compass to help open the portal and get them back home to their families, but Emma also needs direction and help with her moral compass.  Emma is turning her life around and may be doing a bit of soul cleansing too.  The challenges and testing tasks she's enduring on this adventure are changing her on many levels; heart, mind and her higher consciousness included.

Only fools are enslaved by time and space
Consciousness connecting:

The "dreaming" clue comes up again in this episode. Now, of course we can chalk it up to the metaphor of the story, but we can also apply it to the literal with the sleeping curse. 
We see the characters are trying to use "magic portals" to travel, cross borders and boundaries, but could it be something a little bit deeper?  Last week I touched on the residents sleeping and perhaps dreaming the same dream; or at least reaching some level of dream/altered state together.  I believe we may be seeing some traveling to another world without really going far from home or even leaving home at all, just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Those girls' out of this world adventures happened via their consciousness; while asleep/altered state and their minds were free to go anywhere they can imagine.

In "this place", this free state of consciousness, we can create a wondrous world with interesting characters, we can replay real life events and face fears, we can learn and we can rewrite our story- and even become a hero.  So, these portals, rooms, doorways and pathways can be (consciousness) frequencies/vibrations rather than literal locations- nonetheless they are gateways to our higher consciousness, intelligence- self.

Just like LOST the goal is to go home.

Narnia is another world not very far from home.

This week we get some back "story" of Emma from 11 years ago in Portland, Oregon. She looks innocent; wears glasses, skirts and a black leather jacket, but is indeed a car thief and a con. She breaks into the already occupied yellow bug/beetle car we see her drive today.

I'd like to do a little Flash of my own...
Last season in the episode Desperate Souls we see Henry and Emma read an article about herself and her time of her incarceration and birth behind bars. Some of the details of that article are not the information we got in tonight's episode. So, now the question must be asked... which version, if any, is correct? The reason I ask is because in Desperate Souls, Henry asks her if the article is a lie and Emma says "No." But she also bizarrely tells him to throw the paper out and get their news from something more reliable, like the Internet. She also admits the records were supposed to be sealed.

We got another Storybrooke newspaper article where we learned of a version of Emma being found as an infant on the side of the road, but August presents a different version of those events. So, are the Storybrooke articles simply not the complete truth and written by Sydney and Regina just to tell tales of their own and keep control of everyone?  Can we bank on the Flashbacks we see as the truth finally revealed or are we being conned?

Whatever story you think you know is most certainly wrong   
Perspective:

Mentioning storytellers... The always dressed in black, August W. Booth appears out of nowhere claiming to be Emma's guardian angel (of sorts).  But I gotta tell ya, I don't know if we can believe everything we've heard from August since we met him; other than maybe he's Pinocchio and the puppet son of Geppetto.  August may have meant to be a good boy, brave, truthful and unselfish, but is he? He talks a hypnotically convincing game and really wants Emma, Neal and the people of Storybrooke to "believe."   Since we've met him we've seen him try to con Mr. Gold so he can gain access to the Dark One's dagger and we saw him fiddle with Henry's storybook.  August may be trying to be a good boy but something still feels like he may be using people for his own motives and gain. Remember, he even admits that he's weak to temptation.  August said to Neal that money's not what she needs, not for what's ahead. So, did he put the cash away for her or take the cash for himself?  No cash ended up in the envelope for Emma, plus, if August is the one who mailed her the car key why mail it all the way from fuckin' Phuket? Did he get that distracted that he got all the way there and remembered "Oh, yeah, I gotta mail this car key to little destiny bound Emma back in Phoenix."  Who knows, maybe he's working for someone.
Who is using and/or conning who?

Note that August, Neal and Emma go to great lengths to convince people of their grift- their story.

Snow tells Aurora that Charming would light a candle to capture the nightmares, while when Charming lights the candle for Henry and his nightmare he tells him it's to keep the nightmares away. 


Whatever you think I am, I'm not

Hook tells Emma a tale of how evil Giants grew the beans, but rather than using them for good they used them to plunder all the lands, and that Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil Giants. The beans were destroyed by the Giants as they died; if they couldn't have their magic then nobody could.  Sadly the caged in Giant has a different version of the events of how they/the humans massacred them and destroyed their beans. These events left him angry and all alone- without family.  This is what Emma has been dealing with in her own existence.


The bottom line is although we may spend our whole lives trying to outwardly find the treasure, who we really are and what our purpose is- but that treasure and the power we seek is already right inside of us.


Here's a little song I want to share.  It's the Swans performing "Can't Find My Way Home" written by Steve Winwood. Enjoy this little musical interlude.

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑ Eye. Eyes
๑ 8, 23
๑ Life. Death. Birth/Rebirth
๑ August, Neal and Hook flirt with Emma
๑ Victor. Victors. Victory.
๑ TIME
๑ The Giant wears red slippers
๑ Magic cuffs. Magic compass. Magic portal beans. Magic portal.
๑ Sleep. Drugs. Side effects
๑ TRAIN Station
๑ Caged. Cuffed. Imprisoned. Jail
๑ Compass
๑ Map
๑ Alice
๑ Neverland
๑ August and Neal have offered to take Emma for a "drink"
๑ Neal doesn't outright admit he stole the yellow beetle; he has keys for it.
๑ Dreamcatcher
๑ Watch. Guard
๑ Drunk. Rum/liquor
๑ Time. Sundial. Sundown
๑ Watch
๑ Tattoo. Marked 
๑ Pregnancy- birth
๑ The Stranger
๑ Neal was born March 23 1977
๑ Aurora and Henry's recount of their shared dream states mostly the same details, except Aurora says she is trapped, Henry doesn't say that
๑ Mulan owns the most powerful blade in all the realms
๑ Neal was a janitor at a high-end jewelry place in Phoenix and Emma's in a minimum security place in Phoenix
๑ August said he'd send Neal a postcard when Emma was free- Neal gets a postcard from Storybrooke stating "Broken"

Vocabulary and Research...

๑ Rumor has it actor Michael Raymond-James Has the word 'Ohana' (which is Hawaiian for family) tattooed over his heart.   
๑ Neal Leon Cassady (February 8, 1926 – February 4, 1968) was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road. Cassady lived briefly with The Grateful Dead and is immortalized in "The Other One" section of their song "That's it for the Other One" as the bus driver "Cowboy Neal."
  - A second Grateful Dead song, "Cassidy," by John Perry Barlow, might seem to be a misspelling of Cassady's name; in fact the song primarily celebrates the 1970 birth of baby girl Cassidy Law into the Grateful Dead family, though the lyrics also include references to Neal Cassady himself. A N.Y. City-based folk duo, Aztec Two Step, in their 1972 debut album memorialized Cassady in the song "The Persecution & Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On the Road)."
๑ Eugene: A Greek name meaning Noble, well born.
๑ Fence: a dealer in the purchase and sale of stolen property; a middleman between thief and buyer
- Slitherlink (also known as Fences, Takegaki, Loop the Loop, Loopy, Ouroboros, Suriza and Dotty Dilemma) is a logic puzzle
 - Fences:  a 1983 play by American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle.
๑ Poppies: in The Wizard of Oz the wicked witch puts a sleep spell on the poppy field so Dorothy and friends can fall asleep.
- Poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep, peace, and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of the common blood-red color of the red poppy in particular. In Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. Poppies used as emblems on tombstones symbolize eternal sleep. A second interpretation of poppies in Classical mythology is that the bright scarlet color signifies a promise of resurrection after death - Ancient Egyptian doctors would have their patients eat seeds from a poppy to relieve pain. Poppy seeds contain both morphine and codeine.
๑ Jack and the Beanstalk is an English folktale. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-Killer, and is known under a number of versions. Benjamin Tabart's moralized version of 1807 is the first appearance in print, but "Felix Summerly" (Henry Cole) popularized it in The Home Treasury (1842), and Joseph Jacobs rewrote it in English Fairy Tales (1890) In the classic version of the tale, the giant is unnamed, but many plays based on the story name him as Blunderbore; a giant of that name also appears in Jack the Giant Killer.
๑ "Sundial" a song Cosmic Egg is the second studio album by Australian rock band Wolfmother
๑ The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses" is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.
๑ Neverland- Never Never Land: A place where its residents refuse to grow up. The novel explains that the Neverlands are found in the minds of children, and that although each is "always more or less an island" and they have a family resemblance, they are not the same from one child to the next. It also says that a map of a child's mind would resemble a map of Neverland, with no boundaries at all. In J.M. Barrie's play and novel, most of the adventures in the stories take place in the Neverwood, where the Lost Boys hunt and fight the pirates and redskins, and build the Wendy house. It is also the location of the Home Underground, where Peter and the Boys reside.
๑ Salem:
 - Tamil Nadu, a city in India
- A real algebraic integer
 - An indie Florida emo-punk rock band formed in Gainsville
Love it or Leave Me- EP 2003

• "Smoke and Mirrors" 
•  "Cancel the Sun"
•  "Confession"
•  "Aphrodite's Tears" 
•  "Brighton by the Sea"
•  "Amphetamine Crush"

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈  Tallahassee. Criminal/con Kate and Sawyer have been there. Locke's dad is the man from Tallahassee.
✈  Portland Oregon- Headquarters for Mittleos Bioscience Mittelos Laboratories: Science camp. Uses Herarat Aviation
✈  Phuket
✈ Canada: Ethan Rom and Nathan claim to be from there. In Tabula Rasa Kate tells Ray Mullen she's from there; we also get Kate's mug shot
✈  Eye
✈  4
✈ Jack
    - Jack always felt like he was going to fail
✈  Janitor
✈ Drunk
✈ Tattoo. Marked 
✈ Enter 7 7
✈ Case
✈ Cassidy
✈ Apollo Bars
✈ STATIONS: Swan. Lamp post- Train
✈ Time
✈ Jin has to deliver a watch for Mr. Paik.
✈ Sleep. Unconscious. Dreams.
✈ Side effects
✈ Cave
✈ Security system
✈ Camaro
✈ Game
✈ Candle
✈ Mobisode number 1 is titled  The Watch
✈ Not in Portland  
   - Juliet cares for sick sister Rachel in "Miami, Florida" where  "Everything's on the beach."
✈ Further Instructions   Hitchhiker Eddy lies to the cop about Locke (the driver) being his uncle, as to avoid a ticket.  Locke has Charlie stand guard while he visits the sweat lodge. Eddy mentions granola.
-The DHARMA Initiative packages granola bars
- Walkabout Randy eats a granola bar.
✈ Abandoned
✈ Pregnancy test
- I Do- pregnancy test
- The Whole Truth
✈ Born to Run  -Kate commandeers a just vacated motel room
✈ In Greatest Hits Charlie says to Claire "So, first plane crash?" He can always spot the newbies.

Enough of my rambling... Here's your episode recap! Enjoy!

Hook leads the ladies to the stalk they must climb and get past the Giant before they can retrieve the enchanted compass they need for their trip back to Storybrooke.  The stalk is a little freakier than Emma remembers from the story.  It reminds Mulan of death.
The student Emma asks "If these beans create... portals... why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"  Hook explains "Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong."   Emma recalls "There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about evil Giants with a treasure and a golden goose- or harp."
Hook- "Sounds like a lovely tale. But the truth's a little more gruesome. The Giant's
grew the beans, but rather than using them for good they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil Giants. The beans were destroyed by the Giants as they died; if they couldn't have their magic then nobody could. It's really very bad form."
Emma wonders "Evil Giants, who made magic portal beans. Why someone just doesn't go up grow some more?"  Hook tells of one Giant that survived; the strongest and most terrible of them all, and that's who they have to get past to retrieve the magic compass from the rest of the treasure. The compass will guide them to their land. "Cora has the means to open the portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it- steal the ashes from her and we're on our way."
Of course the ladies wonder if he's using them to get the compass for Cora. Hook assures the four that they're far safer company.  All he needs is a ride back and he'll swear allegiance to whomever gets him there first. He did fail to mention that the Giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders. But conveniently he's come prepared with a counter-spell from Cora; a pair of magic cuffs. Cora was to accompany him. He playfully encourages the ladies to fight out who will take her place and wear the other cuff for the journey upward. 

PORTLAND, OREGON 11 YEARS AGO
In an alley:
Eyeglass, skirt and black leather jacket wearing Emma breaks into a yellow VW Beetle; using a screwdriver and (looks like) a rock to pop the ignition.

A green hooded passenger pops up in the backseat. "Impressive. But really, you could've just asked me for the keys."

The unconcerned passenger tells Emma its fine. "Just drive." He introduces himself as Neal Cassidy. Emma doesn't want to tell him her name.  Neal doesn't need it to have her arrested when the robbery is in progress.  Emma ends up revealing she is Emma Swan. Neal thinks that's a good name.

Emma- "So, do you just live in here or are you just waiting for the car to be stolen?"
Neal smiles "Why don't I tell you over drinks."  Emma takes her eyes of the road to question him, and he tells her "Hey, eyes on the road" as she blows by a STOP sign.  Emma isn't having drinks with him because he might be a pervert.
Neal- "I might be a pervert. But you're definitely a car thief."
Emma- "I said I was sorry."
Neal- "You didn't, actually."
A cop car pulls them over.  Flustered Neal feels "That's why I said eyes on the road."  From the back seat quick thinking Neal tells Emma "Screwdriver" which she promptly removes and he replaces with the key.

The officer asks Emma for the license and registration, but Neal interjects, defusing the situation before it even begins. He tells the officer that this is actually his car and he's teaching his girlfriend how to drive stick. The officer feels she's got a lot to learn.  Neal knows, but you know - women.
Officer- "All right, I hear you. It's a warning... this time." Neal thanks the officer and hops in the front seat. Emma wonders if Neal's a misogynist.
Neal- "You're welcome. Oh, go. We got lucky."
Confused Emma- "We? This isn't your car either, is it?"
Neal- "Hmm?"
Emma- "I stole a stolen car?"  Neal doesn't answer that remark, he only smiles slyly and flirts and says "Now, how 'bout that drink?"  They drive off.

Back at the beanstalk Mulan feels she should go up to retrieve the compass because she's best equipped to go; as she's been in many battles/wars. Each woman has a reason for going up, but it's Emma who is going "And I'm not gonna fail."   After all, this is about Emma and Snow getting back to their loved ones.
Snow- "You're new here."
Emma- "It's about getting back to Henry. I don't care what I have to face. You're not gonna argue with me?"  It wouldn't do any good anyway.  Emma asks Mulan if she's got anything in that bag that will help her with a Giant. Mulan replies "A hook?"
Privately, Mulan gives Emma a small white sack filled with powder made from poppies that he has to inhale. Emma also trusts Mulan with the task of cutting down the beanstalk with her "strongest blade in all the realms" sword if she's not back in 10 hours; and she's to keep going and get Snow  home.
Hook hurries the ladies along. "In this world we're a slave to time and ours is running out. In other words- Tick Tock."   Emma's going. Hook was hoping it would be her. He has her place her right hand on his right shoulder and place the magical cuff on her right wrist. This will enable her to climb, but warns her of other dangers. "Thankfully you've got me to protect you."
Hook is given his hook back because he can't climb one handed. {But he is climbing one handed.} Emma warns him "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."
Hook- "I would despair if you did."
The duo begin their ascent.

High up in the atmosphere climbing up the stalk, Hook tries to get Emma to open up about her life. He jokes about never forgetting your first beanstalk. He finds Emma's silence a challenge. Emma says "I'm concentrating."
Hook- "No, you're afraid. Afraid to talk- to reveal yourself. Trust me. Things will run a lot smoother if you do."
Emma-"Used to people not trusting you."
Hook- "Ah, the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."
Emma- "Am I?"
Hook- "Quite. Let's see, you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."
Emma- "That's not perception, that's eavesdropping."
Hook- "You don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned."
Emma- "Was I?"
Hook- "Like I said... open book."
Emma- "How would you know that?"
Hook- "Spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes... The look you get when you've been left alone."
Emma- "Yeah, well, my land aint Neverland."
Hook- "But an orphan's an orphan. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever even been in love?"
Emma- "No. I have never been in love."

Neal and "pregnant" Emma enter a convenience store where Neal tells his Sweetie to get whatever she wants while he gets directions.   The clerk asks Neal "How ya been?" Neal says "I've been better."  He opens up a map on the counter to get directions because he and his wife are really lost. "I'm trying to get to Eugene. I think we've been going the wrong way. Could you show me what's going on here? Where are we, first of all?"  The clerk will help after Neal buys the map. Neal puts cash down on the map. Meanwhile Emma checks out the Mexi-wrap and passes by some bottled orange/citrus drinks.

The clerk shows Neal his problem (on the map) is he's "waaay up here", while not paying attention Neal's focus is on stealing gift cards, two Apollo Bars and a key chain. The clerk says he has to take 5 all the way south towards Salem. A patron enters and instantly sees the duo is stealing from the store and tries to get the clerks attention, but to no avail.  Seeing this, on cue, Emma thinks it's time and gets "labor pains", claiming it hurts really bad!
Happy Neal "He's ready!"  Tells her/baby to "Breathe." And the duo hurry out of the store.  The patron tells the clerk they were stealing.

Running outside Neal states "The little guy saved us!" {Who are they talking about here, really?}
Emma- "He sure did! The miracle of birth!"  She removes the fake "pregnancy belly" and tosses the haul to Neal.  He got her a key chain. It a circle with a swan in the center. She likes it and they kiss.

They hang out in the parking lot of the motel waiting a family to vacate a room so that they commandeer it. They'll have 20 minutes until housekeeping.

In the room Neal asks if she wants to shower first.  Emma finds a Native American Dreamcatcher left by the Granola family. She knows it's supposed to keep all the nightmares out and only let the good dreams in to protect your home.
Neal- "It's flypaper for nightmares?"  Neal decides they should keep it, but Emma wonders where they'd be able to hang it- "in the car?"

Neal realizes that's not much of a home and maybe it's time they get a real place. They've been on the road long enough, maybe it's time to retire the Bonnie and Clyde act. He thinks it's time- together.  Silly Emma wonders "Like where, Neverland?"  Neal's serious, they can do this. He presents Emma with a map tray of the United States, tells her to close her eyes and point. Whatever spot she picks is their home.

The winner is Tallahassee. Emma wonders if Tallahassee is near a beach. Neal- "Yeah, it's Florida, everything's near a beach."   Neal makes it clear that he really wants Emma.

Mulan makes a sundial to keep the time and mark watches- take turns sleeping. They should try to rest because they'll most likely have to walk through the night again.  Snow offers to take first shift and Aurora will stay up with her, as she doesn't really sleep. Snow asks her when was the last time she slept.  The sleeping curse has fucked with Aurora. The one time she did sleep she had horrible nightmares.
Snow- "It's a side effect. The same thing happened to me."  She goes on to explain she had them for months. Then Charming (her husband) used to wake her when she cried out and light a candle. He said it would capture the nightmares. He'd watch over her as she fell back asleep.  It sounds like the Dude lives up to his name.  Snow encourages Aurora to sleep and she'll watch over her; she'll be safe. Aurora thanks her. Snow is obviously concerned about Emma and her current task.

Emma and Hook arrive at the Giant's residence high in the night starry sky. There are skeletons all around. This is where the final battle was.  Emma cut her left hand and Hook tenderly tends to it; using Rum to painfully sterilize the wound.  Emma assumes he's being a gentleman, which Hook is, but it's because Giants can smell blood.  Knowing they don't have time to wait for the Giant to fall asleep, they plan to use the poppy powder Mulan gave them.  They have to sneak past the sleeping Giant in his cave to where the treasures are- "Where the compass lies." Oh, and then they run like hell.
Emma notices Hook's "Milah" heart tattoo and surmises Gold/Rumple took her from Hook along with his hand. This is why he wants to kill him.  Hook feels "For someone who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive aren't you?"  Emma admits "Maybe I was... once."

Playfully hiding behind a tree, young Emma presents jelly doughnuts to troubled looking Neal. Neal found a wanted posted hanging on the wall at the Post Office.

He tells the story about when he was a janitor in Phoenix at a high end jewelry place. The manager was a drunk who'd forget to lock the case of expensive watches. Neal resisted twice, but the third time this guy was just asking to get took. So he grabbed a couple of cases of watches and hopped on a train to Portland. The store's got insurance.  He stashed them in a locker in the train station; they're still there. "That's hardly stealing."  He didn't get away clean. The manager may have been drunk but the security cameras are stone sober. The heat hasn't died down, so Tallahassee's out. Neal's gotta go to Canada alone. He doesn't want her to get caught with him. "You think crossing the border is easy?"  Emma suggests fake I.D.'s and Passports. Neal's concerned that costs money and they have a stolen car. Emma suggests they make it legit: take a VIN # off of another car. She also suggests she go get the watches out of the locker, as no one is looking for her. "We can fence them and then we can have the money..." They could do and go where ever they want. "We could change our identities and go to Tallahassee."
Neal- "You wanna steal the watches to help me get away with stealing the watches?"
Yep!
Neal can't let her risk everything. But Emma says "I love you."  Neal replies, "I love you too."
Emma knows she can do it.

Emma is perched atop of one of the stone/terracotta Warriors outside the doorway of the Giant's dwelling.  The Giant comes out and Hook {the worst human around} grabs his attention so Emma can get the Giant to inhale the powder.  The Giant crashes to the ground- out cold- sound asleep.

Hook doesn't mean to upset her, but he feels they make quite the team.
Emma- "Let's go steal a compass."

Mulan looks troubled as she sees how much time has passed. Aurora is having a nightmare. Snow wakes her "It was just a dream."  Upset Aurora tells Snow "It was the same as last time. I was in this room- this, this red room... it was ...bright- blood red curtains, there were no windows and no doors, so it didn't make sense. I couldn't get in or out- I was trapped. The curtains, they were on fire... it was horrible. I was hunched in a corner and I looked over into the other corner... and the shadows, there was someone else there. I just see his eyes- he was looking right at me."
Snow- "It's over now. These nightmares... they will fade away. I promise." Although she didn't really look too sure about that. Snow will sit with her until she falls back asleep. "Who else do I have to take care of?"

Emma and Hook walk through a grand hall that houses countless treasures. Hook is interested in coins.  Emma rushes him along because they have no clue how long magic knockout powder lasts. Hook leads the way. "Come. Everything we need is right in front of us."

Emma is at the TRAIN STATION with the key to retrieve the stolen watches. {Train 643 with stops at Cleveland, D.C. and Seattle now boarding on track...} She notes two officers nearby, takes the bag from the locker and smiles as she walks out.

Emma asks Hook "(They) kill all the Giant housekeepers too? Where are we gonna find a compass in this mess?"
Hook- "By looking. Start searching."  He wonders how much treasure they can carry down the beanstalk; in addition to the compass of course.  They come upon the skeleton of Jack, the Giant killer.
Emma saves Hook from backing up into a trip wire (trap); quite a security system. Hook wants to flirt with her. Emma insists they just find the compass and go home.

Neal is excited when Emma returns to the yellow Beetle with the watches. Emma thought there would be more, but Neal informs her of the prices of $20,000.  Emma's excited for Tallahassee. Neal's gonna go meet the fence and he'll meet her with the money.  The parking structure near the tracks- 9 PM sharp. And just so there are no mix-ups, he gives her one of the watches. He gives her a kiss and says "Tallahassee, baby. We're almost home."
Emma- "Home."

As Neal walks down the dark street he is followed by a man. He runs into an alley being run down- He runs across the hood and top of a light color Camaro and tries to get away over a chain link fence, but is taken down by the man. Neal assumes he's someone else. "You got the wrong guy, officer! I wasn't even J-walking!"
August- "It's not like that. You wanna protect Emma? Come with me."
Neal yells "How do you know Emma?!"
August- "The name's August and it's a long story, but trust me, you wanna hear it."
Neal gives him two minutes to talk. "Who are you?"
August- "Think of me as Emma's guardian angel."
If that's the case then Neal feels August has been doing a pretty crap job.  August claims to have been looking for her for the past two years and has finally found her and she's robbing convenience stores with some deadbeat. "Tell me again who's doing the crap job."  Neal feels he's the best thing that ever happened to Emma. "Two years. Where were you the rest of her life?"
August- "I'm not perfect. This world (?) full of temptations. Turns out I'm not that great at saying no. I'm not built that way. But I'm here now."
Neal- "Who are you?"
August- "We were in the same home as kids, and I thought she'd be safe inside the system, but now that she's out... Back then I promised I would take care of her."
Neal- "Well, we promised to take care of each other."
August sees that Neal loves her, and that's good. "That means you have to do right by her."  That's what Neal is trying to do
August- "Then leave her."
Neal- "Never."
August- "She has a destiny. And you- this life, you're gonna keep her from it. Okay... You believe in magic?"
Neal- "I take it you do."
August- "So will you. Trust me. I'm gonna show you something. Something that's gonna make you look at everything differently. When you see what I have in here you're gonna listen. You're gonna believe every word I say"  They walk over to August's motorcycle where he has a wood case strapped to the back. {Note Tiki torches}
Neal- "Yeah, right."
August opens the lid of the case and lets Neal peek inside.  August has Neal's attention.

August- "There's a curse... and it needs to be broken. Emma... is the key. I was tasked with keeping her on track and you, my friend... just got caught in the crossfire. Now I'm gonna tell you a story and at the end of it you're gonna have to make a decision.  Will you do the right thing... or not. So... Are... You ready?"

Emma smiles as she leans with her back against the wall looking at the watch. She uses her flip phone to make a call. The number is out of service and she feels the message she hears is an error.  Unless he set her up. An officer pulls a gun on her "Possession of stolen goods."  He tells her that her boy left her holding. He's sorry to tell her but "Your boy took off. Probably in Canada by now. He called in a tip- told us to take a look at the surveillance footage at the Train Station. Gimme the watch. Now!"  Emma gives him the watch. He asks "You know your rights?"  Yeah, she does.
The officer- "Good girl. Turn around. Where's the rest of the watches?"
Shocked Emma- "Gone. They're not coming back."

Emma- "So, it's just in here somewhere."
Hook- "Allegedly."
Hook asks her for a boost and Emma assumes he's out to pocket something. He wants her/darling to try something new, "Its called trust."
Emma- "We do it side by side and fast. Who knows how long before the..."  Just then the place shakes and items rattle from the approaching awake Giant.
Hook- "Someone's up."  Hook advises Emma to get under something, but she doesn't.  The ceiling comes crashing down due to the intense anger and heavy footsteps of the Giant. Hook ends up under that debris.  The loud Giant scoops up Emma.

VANCOUVER, CANADA  
2 Months Later

Down by the water August meets up with Neal.

August- "It's been a while. Where'd ya go?"
Neal, still driving the yellow Beetle {Different license plate} tells him "Tried to lose myself... didn't work. I want to talk to you about Emma."
August- "I hope you're not trying to reach out."
Neal- "I just feel like, if I knew she was okay- I could move on. Is she?"
August- "She will be. She got 11 months."
This upsets Neal. "That should be me! I should be doing that time."
August- "No. We went over this. It's good."  It's a minimum security place in Phoenix, and no, he's not going to tell Neal which one. {How fucking many could there be?!} "She'll get out of there and she'll be fine. You keep your promise and steer clear and she can have a good life. She can do what she's supposed to do."
Neal feels if he can't be there for her he wants August to promise that he will be. August promises. Neal needs August to do something for him. He was able to fence the watches which gave him the huge wad of cash he hands over to August. "Don't judge, I'm giving it all to her and the car. I got a clean VIN number for it so it's legit. I just... I feel like I'm there with her, ya know?"
August- "Money's not what she needs- not for what's ahead."
Neal insists- "Can't ya see that she gets it?"
August- "Sure."  He takes the stack and suspiciously looks around.
Neal- "And one more thing... If anything changes and she does her job- this insanity ends... and she's free..."
August- "I'll send you a postcard."  August takes off right away.

The Giant holds Emma tightly in his fist. "You're a thief and you poisoned me. So yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think."
Emma struggles. "No. Look, you have a compass- I need it!"
The Giant doesn't care what she needs. He squeezes harder and it shortens her breath.
Emma- "No, For my son! To save my son! Don't... don't you have a family?!"
The Giant- "No! Because humans killed them all."  He squeezes really, really hard and Emma bites him; she falls down onto his red slipper.  He takes off after her. Emma jumps over the trip wire and grabs Jack's sword to cut the wire and trapping the Giant under it.

With his one eye watching Emma, she threatens him with {Jack's} the sword she assumes has been dipped in poison.
Emma- " You have a compass. I need it."  It doesn't matter to the Giant as he assumes she's going to kill him anyway. "Go ahead. Kill me."
Emma- "You don't know me.
The Giant- "I know your kind. They massacred us and destroyed our beans."
Emma- "I heard it the other way.
The Giant- "It's because the victors get to tell the story."  Emma again threatens him with the sword.
The Giant tells her to stop and slips her the compass. "See. I'm not the bad guy."  Now with compass in hand she thinks that maybe he's telling the truth; but it doesn't really matter. "Are there any more of you?"
The Giant- "No. I'm alone."   Emma sees something and asks if it's a bean. "Can this make a portal."
The Giant- "Not anymore. It was destroyed like the rest of em. I wear it as a reminder- a reminder that you're all killers." Emma again taunts him with the sword and tells him "You're wrong." And she walks away.  The trapped Giant breaks out and shows Emma the way out; via a (mouse) hole in the wall. "Because you could've killed me... and you didn't. You get one favor now go before I change my mind."
Emma- "Actually, I get two favors. Well, the way I see it I could've killed you twice. The poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't."
The Giant- "What do you want?"

 

Emma rescues Hook. He wants to see the compass. It's more beautiful than he imaged. Emma is careful to not let him have it, so she pockets it.  Hook offers her his hand and she takes it. "Come let's go."  But Emma cuffs him with a golden cuff.  He's confused wondering why, "Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"
Emma- "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry."
Hook is pissed! "I got you here! I got you the compass!"
Emma- "I got the compass."
Hook- "You just gonna leave me here to die., Now that beast eat me- crush my bones."
Emma- "He's not a beast. And  you're not gonna die. I just need a head start- that's all." She leaves.
Hook calls out "SWAN!"

Mulan sees her sundial timer is just about up on time.  Aurora sleeps on Snow's lap. Mulan takes off to the stalk to being cutting it down; as per instructions of Emma. Snow and Aurora stop her; not wanting Emma to be left to die.  Mulan feels Emma may already be dead. Mulan strikes the stalk and it sends a vibration all the way up it. Snow literally tackles Mulan!  Mulan insists it was her daughter's wish. Snow doesn't care what she says "You do not put my daughter in danger!"
Emma jumps off the stalk "Stop!"  Snow runs to her. "You okay?"
Emma- "Two earth quakes and a jump from a beanstalk I think my brain's still rattling around a little."   Mulan was just carrying out her orders.
She shows the ladies she has the compass and lets them know Hook's detained; they have 10 hours before he starts following them. She has a friends looking after him until then.  Snow makes it clear to Emma "We go back together! That is the only way. Do you understand?!"  Emma understands and they hug. They head off to get the dust from Cora... and go home.

MINIMUM SECURITY CORRECTIONS FACILITY Phoenix, Arizona 
11 Years Ago

Emma sits quietly on her cot; eye glasses in her left hand.
"Swan, you got mail."  The corrections officer, Loretta, delivers her mail {yellow envelope} from Phuket. The rules indicate she has to open the mail in front of Emma. She shows Emma the Swan key chain and automatically knows they are car keys. "Hope you got the car it goes with." There's nothing else- no letter.

Loretta is sorry. "But good news. You get a car when you get out... And a baby. Congratulations."  Loretta locks her in.

Henry is sound asleep. He bolts awake from a nightmare.  Charming runs to his aid. "It's over."  He lights a candle to help; explaining the candle keeps away the nightmares.  Charming has Henry tell him about the dream.
Henry- "I, I was in this room... and ... and it was red. And there was no doors, no windows. And these curtains... and they were on fire.  And I was in this corner and, and, and it was looking out/up, there was someone else there.... she was staring at me through the flames, th, then I woke up."
Charming tells Henry not to worry "It was just a bad dream."