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.

The Stranger

"The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away" - The Beatles

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


"You don't see it, do you? Your denial is more powerful than I thought.  It's preventing you from seeing the truth."


One of Emma's lessons in this adventure is about seeing what is right in front of her and not believing it and outright refusing to see it- the truth.  She needs to have a little more faith and trust in herself and believe. Not only with the things she is seeing and hearing with her own eyes and ears, but including intuition.  

Do you believe everything you are seeing even when it's shown to you over and over again, or trust it to be true- even if it is a lie?  Could there be something you're refusing to see?


Don't be fooled by time and space

The challenges we see Emma experiencing in her Storybrooke journey seem reflected in the dialogue played out in this version of events in Fairy Tale Land. Emma asks August to show her the big picture and when he shows her a big picture- she freaks out. Even though she claimed to want to see as a means to beat Regina, she couldn't find it in herself to do it- not even for the greater good.  I am concerned about Emma's confusion, decisions and actions.

Nonetheless circumstances have changed in Fairy Tale Land and things have changed and are in motion in Storybrooke; and on a grand scale. Sure, I'll ask- did circumstances change just because Emma is there or because of the change in the storybook?  In Fairy Tale Land the Blue Fairy states that circumstances have changed and Jiminy Cricket even says "Things have changed and the savior needs her mother." 


Choose your own adventure

A story written out and scripted with roles; But now edits, changes and outcomes are a part of the evolving story.  Literally, right now, the story has no ending, so anything happen. Many other fairy tale characters stories are in the book and Pinocchio has been acknowledged before, so why the need to add/change his story in there?

Again I'm brought back to Henry tearing out the last few pages of the book- the ending.  Is Henry's (remember the book was given to him by Mary Margaret/Snow White) ending to the story really the same ending that August says will come to fruition once Emma "believes"- we can only hope for a happy ending.  In life we all write our own stories... and ending.

* Henry feels the changes in the book are there "to tell us something we need to know about the curse"; but he/they don't know what that is because the story isn't finished.
* I'm just gonna ask again... Is there more than one book?

Regina tells a couple of stories:
* Regina made up a story to David with the staged blank note from Henry.
* Regina told David a really great story about finding him unconscious on the road. She played David, put on a dramatic act, outright lied and tried to manipulate David into her web.

"I meant to be a good boy"

Since August/Pinocchio is a liar, are we to completely trust in the stories he's told while in Storybrooke? Of course we are led to believe he is the one who "changed/added" an entry into the fairy tale book. Now, I'm not saying he's not. I just have a tendency to be cautious of liars and con-men.  Emma surmises he's the altering author, but he only states he needed her to know the truth.  But did he stretch or manipulate the truth a bit, having an ulterior motive for some reason?  I mean, after all, he hasn't been completely honest about everything since arriving at Storybrooke.  One example (there are a few) in this episode alone is when August, the writer, tells Emma he learned how to do this handy work in wood shop, 8th grade, and not from his father. Of course, he really could have had shop class in 8th grade, but the obvious point was made in this episode that he didn't mention a father who taught him.

Evidently, he didn't seem to take the initiative to go and look for Emma during his life in the new magic-less land, or even look for her in the ever important 28th year.  He was only motivated when he was woken up at 8:15 in the morning (in Phuket) when his leg got a shooting pain because "you decided to stay in Storybrooke. That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke- sound familiar?"  Why did he say "you decided..." like that?

And (last week) what was all of his theatrics with Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin and trying to get the dagger and kill him for the Dark Power all about?  Should we still question that play or was he completely honest with Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin about his goals? I mean, think about it, did he think that move was really going to get Emma to believe, or give him the proper magic to stay a real boy/man- or was that about something else all together? August/Pinocchio was willing to acquire the Dark Power! How would that have helped Emma to believe or to heal him?  He's known since childhood that world is a land without magic. Plus, I thought by knowing Henry's book that he realized the Evil Queen is the one who enacted the curse. (We know Rumpelstiltskin concocted it.)  In this episode the Blue Fairy tells Geppetto the child needs to be protected from the powerful effects of the Dark Curse. Who knows, maybe he had intentions to fight Regina as the Dark One, or maybe he thought just by taking that power away from Rumpelstiltskin was a noble act.  And while we're at it... why does August always wear black? Hmm...

Although we see some compassion and bravery in August/Pinocchio, I can't help but wonder is there more to it?  Could he have made shit up or skewed events in the changed storybook because he wants to be a hero or is he a villain? Is he taking advantage of the current circumstances? Or has he truly learned his lesson and turned over a new leaf?

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...
๑  Damon Lindelof, LOST and the "Island"
๑  Flashes
๑  Battery. Power. Electricity. Energy.
๑  The universe, karma, fate and destiny
๑  Henry's been hiding the storybook in the sheriff's office for a while now and is only noticing the changes in it now?
๑  Stories told: David and Emma were found on the side of the road.
๑  August and Emma can "leave" Storybrooke
๑  The words Curse and Magic are braided together; associated as the same- yet different
๑  Both Geppetto and Pinocchio break rules and go against what is asked of them.
๑  Trip. Unconscious.
๑  Real. Not Real
๑  Tree
๑  Birth.  Born. Spring.
๑  Late can mean dead or asleep
๑  Inanimate
๑  Guiding. A gentle nudge.
๑  Balance
๑  Black (Smoke),  White (Roses)
๑  Chanty- another word for "shanty" is cabin, camp, hut, shelter, shed, cottage and box.
๑  Three: Colors (copper- gold- emerald green) on the rotary phone, three digits call/connect you to someone.
๑  Pinocchio must remember to be brave, truthful and unselfish to stay a real boy. But now he's a grown man.
๑  1984
๑  Fairy Tale Land is down to their last enchanted tree in the entire realm, and last week they used the last magic bean to open the vortex.
๑  The clock tower in Mr. Gold's shop is 6:10 and in Geppetto's garage it's 6:05.
๑  The clock has a sort of military motif with its chevron and star design.
๑  Clock. Time.  Fast. Slow.  Early. Late. Running out of. Pace.
๑  Risk
๑  Game. Win. Lose. Time.
๑  Framed
๑  Booth
๑  Claim. Custody. Case. Accusation.
๑  Hope
๑  Head/mind- Heart/chest.
๑  Right. Wrong
๑  Cold. Ice. Winter. - Spring
๑  Fun nod to Star Wars.
๑  TRON
๑  The word vessel (used for holding something or traveling. Artery or vein) is used for wardrobe (for holding clothing)
- Vessel- aka- ship, sink, sinkhole, bay or tub, barrel.
- Wardrobe- aka- chest, costumes, fashion,  locker, trunk

Vocabulary and Research...

๑  Code Red- emergency alert used in hospitals.
๑  Code Red: series of books for teens written by Chris Ryan
    1).  Flash Flood    2).  Wildfire    3).  Outbreak    4).  Vortex    5). Twister
๑ The Stranger or The Outsider (L’Étranger) is a novel by Albert Camus published in 1942.
   - The Stranger is a collection of science fiction stories by Gordon R. Dickson.
   - The Stranger is a short story written by J. D. Salinger first published in the December 1945 issue of   Collier's magazine.
๑ Sociopath: Antisocial personality disorder that begins in childhood
๑ White Rose: Have come to symbolize many things. Purity, Innocence, Secrecy, Sympathy, Spirituality. In early traditions- true love and the wedding flower.

                                                 Hints to the "Island" (more photos in the post)

 

                                                               

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

 20 out of 20 ONCE Upon A Time episodes literally connecting to LOST and the amazing "Island"...

✈  Oceanic Airline: Oceanic flight 815 crashes on to mysterious island on September 22, 2004.
As per one ARG, it was founded in 1979; at one point claimed to have a 30 year perfect safety record.  Oceanic flies over Dharmaville in "A Tale of Two Cities".
✈  Flashes
✈  Lock
✈ Trip. Unconscious
✈  Head/mind- Heart/chest.   "Hearts and Minds"
✈  4,  8
✈  108
✈  815
✈  Battery. Power. Electricity. Energy.
✈  Tempest: Violent storm
✈  Birth.  Born. Spring.
✈  Pace
✈  Suffering
✈  Tree
✈  Guiding.
✈  School.  Learning.
✈  Swan
✈  Sidney Glass- Sydney (Glass)
✈  Claim
✈  Late
✈  Hope
✈  Mental and emotional health
✈  Kidnap
✈  Raft: Michael builds two rafts. He takes Walt on the raft to spare him growing up in "that place."
✈  Bearded Jack tells Kate "he's sick."
✈  Jack visits Phuket in "Stranger in a Strange Land" and we learned in "Lockdown" that's where he learned to play cards.
✈  Gordy/Gordi is the man Sawyer is involved in a Con with in "The Long Con"
✈  Kate buys a bus ticket to Tallahassee in "What Kate Did"
     - In "316" Jack's Grandfather, Ray, travels on the bus
✈  Hot air balloon: Henry Gale makes up a story about it in "One of Them"
✈  Course correction is mentioned to Desmond by Eloise Hawking in "Flashes Before Your Eyes."
✈  Diner: Kate's mother, Diane, worked as a waitress in a diner.
✈  Foster home - Foster children: John Locke- "Deus Ex Machina", "Outlaws",  "The Man from Tallahassee", and  "Cabin Fever"
✈  "Expose" - Corvette realizes the money for the children in the orphanage.
✈  In "The Substitute" Ilana has to show the people at the Statue 'the face of what they're up against.'
✈  Charlie feels he has to "Save the baby" as it is told to him via a realistic dream in "Fire + Water".
✈  "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Answer- “Ille qui nos omnes servabit.”  Translation- "He who will save us all."  {Possible Translation: “He quae we omnes being saved”. But those words also may translate to: He/she/it- who/what/which/that- us/we-omnes serves/servant/slave/creature.
✈  Custody: Michael fights for Walt in "Special".  Kate, by default, gains custody of Aaron.
✈  In "...And Found" Jack's wedding ring is rattling around in his sock drawer back home.
  -  In "Lockdown" Locke hid Helen's engagement ring in a green and white sock in his sock drawer.
✈  Crash 
✈  Wash up on shore:
   - Desmond in "Live Together, Die Alone"
   - "The Little Prince" - Rousseau's science team.
   - "LaFleur" - Sawyer tells Horace a story his shipwrecked adventure.
✈  Other connecting episodes:  "Live Together, Die Alone", "Raised by Another", "Special" "The Greater Good",  "S.O.S.",  "Solitary",  "The Cost of Living", "Every man for Himself" and "One of Us".


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

8:00 AM

 August installs a new heavy duty medieval chic lock on Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment door.  "No one is gettin' through that."  Impressed  Emma asks him "Wow. When are you installing the torture chamber?"  Mary Margaret doesn't care what it looks like, as long as it keeps Regina and her skeleton keys out.  August, the writer, tells impressed Emma he learned how to do this handy work in wood shop- 8th grade.
Speaking of school Mary Margaret has to get going.  Emma asks her if she's sure she's ready to go back. Mary Margaret feels that after a stint behind bars, how tough can a room full of 4th graders be? "Besides... Aren't you the one we need to be worried about?"   Emma wonders why.
August- "Well, you did threaten to take Henry away from Regina."
That wasn't a threat. Emma is hiring Mr. Gold to help build a case against her.  She reiterates to Mary Margaret "She tried to frame you for murder."   Mary Margaret asks her "But you do know what happens if you do win?"
Emma- "Yeah."
Mary Margaret- "And you're ready? To be him mom?"
Emma- "Yeah."
Henry radios Emma via his walkie-talkie "Code Red. Code Red."  He tells her to meet him at Granny's "It's an Operation Cobra emergency."  Emma's on her way.

Outside {passing the stacked lumber} August tells Emma to wait up. They continue to hurry along. Emma- "You heard the kid. Operation Cobra calls."
August- "I didn't think you believed any of that."
Emma- "Oh, I don't. But sometimes it's the only way to get through to Henry."
August feels a custody battle against Regina isn't going to accomplish anything. "You need to look at the big picture. That's the only way you're gonna understand what you're up against. That's the only way you'll know how to beat Regina."  {They walk passed the closed up Library}
Emma-  "Okay new guy, how's that?"
August- "Take the day off.... come with me and I'll show you."
Emma- "And where exactly would we be going on this magical mystery tour?"
August- "If I told you, you would never come."
Emma continues to walk on.  August calls out "Oh come on.  Take a leap of faith. You come with me and I promise you, you'll find exactly what you're looking for."
Emma- "My kid needs me. I don't have time for faith."   August is disappointed.

Emma meets up with Henry, who is sitting in a booth, drinking hot chocolate and looking through the fairy tale book.  Emma enters asking Henry "What's the emergency?" Henry urges Emma to "Shhh. This is sensitive."  Emma whispers "If it's sensitive, why are we at Granny's out in the open?"  Henry was hungry.
Henry - "Who else knows that we hide the book in sheriff's station?"
Emma- "No one. Why?"
Henry-" Someone changed it. There's a new story in it."
Emma- "Why would someone add a new story?"
Henry- "To tell us something we need to know about the curse."
Emma- "And what would that be?"
Henry- "I don't know. The story isn't finished."

Emma- "Why would someone go to so much trouble to add a new story and not bother finishing it?"
Henry- "That's what's weird. The story's about Pinocchio. (he says this with a bit of foreboding) Everyone knows how that ends."
Emma- "Well, maybe that's why it was left out."
Henry - "Or maybe- there's more to it."   He turns the page to show a raft.
Emma- "Henry. You are gonna be late for school.  Let's go."
Henry looks at the page again and the page transforms into live action (for us).

A violent storm is tossing the raft around.  Geppetto and marionette Pinocchio are the passengers. Geppetto yells for his boy to hold on as they try to move faster to escape the approaching giant whale.  Pinocchio is trying to hold on.  "Faster! Faster, father! He's catching up!"   But the current is too strong and the whale is quickly approaching.  As Geppetto tries to steady the raft he tells his marionette son "Don't let go!"  Geppetto decides "We must abandon ship. Take this. This is the only one."
Pinocchio- "No father. I'm made of wood. I'll float. We can both survive."
Geppetto- "No! We don't risk."  Pinocchio pleads with his father to take it "Save yourself!" and he jumps overboard as the whale is about to gobble up the raft.

Geppetto is unconscious, lying on the edge of the shore. {Note the reminders of the crash of Oceanic flight 815} He wakes up and finds his head was resting on the life preserver.   He calls out for Pinocchio and realizes "You saved me."  He is happy.  "Where are you?!  Oh! Where are you?"  Geppetto spots Pinocchio a short distance away, face down in the water's edge.  He holds the wood boy and cries; he's devastated.

"I wish I could've saved you, my boy."
The Blue Fairy flies in and tells Geppetto "We still can."  Geppetto begs "Please- save him."  The Blue Fairy uses her magic wand and transforms the wood boy into a real boy.  The boy opens his eyes and looks up at the man cradling him and asks "Father?"  Pinocchio looks and realizes "I'm... a real boy. I'm a real boy!"  Father and son are very, very happy. Geppetto thanks the Blue Fairy. "I don't know how I could ever repay you. Th... This is all I ever wanted."
The Blue Fairy- "You and Pinocchio have found each other. Now go. Live your life together as a family." She also wants Pinocchio to remember to "Be brave, truthful and unselfish.  So long as you do that you will always remain a real boy."  She blows him a kiss. Geppetto places the boy's hat back on his head.

Sad August fondly touches his boyhood hat. He dials three digits on the three tone colored rotary phone (copper- gold- emerald green) and sets up a meeting with Mr. Gold. It's about Emma "There's a... problem."

On his way out the door, he is sidetracked by a painful crippling and stiffening in his leg. He reveals his left leg is turned to wood.

At the school Regina sees that Miss Blanchard is back.  Mary Margaret seems happy to be back. There are kids playing kickball/soccer and two kids walking their bikes.  Mary Margaret remarks it's wonderful that everything worked out.  Henry forgot his lunch, Regina asks Mary Margaret if she's seen him.
Mary Margaret says "He's with his mother."  Regina asks if there's a problem to which Mary Margaret replies "Not anymore. Though someone did got to a lot of trouble to make it look like I did something horrible. But they failed."
Regina- "Yes. Sidney Glass. Who's safely incarcerated."
Mary Margaret- "If it was Sidney.
Regina- "Well, ask your roommate. He confessed."
Mary Margaret- "Of course he did."
Regina- "Are you insinuating something?"
Mary Margaret- "Yes, I am. But I forgive you.  Even if you can't admit what you did. I forgive you anyway. Your life must be filled with such incredible loneliness if your only joy comes from destroying everyone else's happiness. It so sad, Mayor Mills, because despite what you think it won't make you happy. It's only going to leave a giant hole in your heart. There's Henry now."
Regina is left there silent.
Henry asks Regina what she's doing here.  Regina gives him the TRON lunch box he forgot.

She sits him down and tells him it's time for a change. "I think it's time to transfer you to a new class with a new teacher." Henry asks why she wants him out of Miss Blanchard's class. "Is it because you framed her?"  Regina is shocked "Henry, do you really think I'm capable of doing something so horrible?"  Without hesitation he replies "Of course. You're the Evil Queen."
Regina- "Enough.  Those fairy tales are not real.  Miss Blanchard should have never given you that book. She should be grateful I'm not trying to get her fired."
Henry gets defensive. "Go ahead and try. It won't work. No matter what you do Snow White will have her happy ending. She and Prince Charming will be together.  The curse will end!  Good Will Win.  And I'm not transferring classes."  He walks away from her, leaving her with a baffled look on her face.

August enters Mr. Gold's shop.  He is wearing black gloves and keeps his hands in his jacket pockets the whole time he's there.
Mr. Gold is busy discussing the repair of a pretty clock tower with Marco/Geppetto.
Mr. Gold tells Mr. Booth he'll be with him in a moment. "On second thought,tell me, as one admirer of antiquities to another... Do you think it's worth my while having this clock repaired? {August doesn't answer because he's stunned to see wide eyed Geppetto there- so he knows this is him.} I'll take your silence as a "yes" then."
Geppetto tells Mr. Gold that he's very busy right now, as he only a one man shop. "But I'll get to the clock as fast as I can."   Mr. Gold wouldn't ask for anything more.  Geppetto takes the clock, walks past August and bids him a "Good day" on his way out. Nervous August mumbles, stumbling over the words "H, How are you?"
Mr. Gold- "First time seeing dear old dad since you arrived at Storybrooke?"
August, still stunned from the shocking moment he just experienced, again stumbles over his words. "I'm.. s, s, sorry."
Mr. Gold- "You know what surprises me is, why a man claims to be at death's door, can't even bring himself to say hello to his father. What are you afraid of?"
August- "That's, uh... that's my business."
Mr. Gold feels that's fair enough. "Let's talk about ours. You claim to be the only person who can make Miss Swan believe. That you can get her to do exactly what she was brought here to do. And yet, for a man who's running out of time, you don't seem to be in much of a hurry."
August- "It's not me slowing us down. It's her. All she can think about right now is getting custody of her kid."
Mr. Gold- "Sounds like Sheriff Swan needs a course correction."
August- "She's coming to you for legal advice."
Mr. Gold- "And you want me to steer her toward you."
August- "I can get her there- to believing. Trust me."
Mr. Gold laughs- "Ah, I'm sorry, it's just that- knowing who you are and your nature- trust is a big ask.  Fear not. A gentle nudge I shall provide."  He heads toward the curtained back room with his ledger.

Geppetto is teaching real boy Pinocchio how to make the clock function; fix it.  "Line the gear on the spindle. Now press the spring."   Pinocchio follows instructions and it works!  Geppettto is proud. "Good work! You fixed it. Bravo!"   The repair opens the double doors of the clock tower set on 2:00, revealing Jiminy Cricket has been tied up and trapped inside.  Giggling mischievous Pinocchio did this.  As Geppetto frees Jiminy Cricket, he reminds him what the Blue Fairy told him about being a good boy. Jiminy tells Geppetto it's okay, "He meant no harm. I'd be laughing too if I wasn't so dizzy."   Just then the Blue Fairy flies in and Pinocchio instinctively blurts out "I'm sorry! I meant to be good!"  She's not there because of Pinocchio, she is there with bad news.   Geppetto has Pinocchio wait in his room while he talks with the Blue Fairy.  {Jiminy tells Pinocchio to "hang on" and goes with him.}
"The Evil Queen. She's threatened the entire Kingdom with a curse. A curse that will rip away all that we love."
Geppetto- "Then we must stop her."
The Blue Fairy- "It is too late for that."
Geppetto- "So,  all is lost?"
The Blue Fairy- "No. There is hope. If you will help us.  {He asks "Me?"}  Snow White is about to give birth to a child.  A child who will save us all when she reaches her 28th year.  But only if she can be protected from the powerful effects of the Dark Curse."
Geppetto wonders how he can protect this child.
The Blue Fairy tells him of an Enchanted Tree; much like the one he carved Pinocchio from. If fashioned into a vessel, it can protect the child from the Queen's magic. Will you do this?"
Geppetto is afraid. "I can't lose my boy. I have lost...  so much. I cannot lose him too.
The Blue Fairy- "Then build the wardrobe.  That's how you'll save us all."  Geppetto thinks intensely about it and then nods "yes."

"I have to save him. I have to get Henry away from Regina" says desperate Emma to Mr. Gold.  He feels her intentions are admirable . However, he won't be taking her case.  This shocks Emma. "You know what Regina did."  Mr. Gold agrees, but they can't prove it.  "Given the Mayor's sway in this town any proceeding against her will be long and drawn out and futile. The only certainty is- Henry will suffer.  You can't do that to your boy."  Emma seems frustrated "So, we leave him in the same house as that sociopath?!"   Mr. Gold apologizes, but his mind is made up.  She tells him "Well, then change it! The only person I've seen go head to head with Regina and win- is you."
Confident Mr. Gold says that's  because he knows how to pick his battles.  Aggravated Emma tells him to pick this one.
Mr. Gold- "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm simply not the man to help you beat Mayor Mills."
Emma- "No. You're not."  She huffs out, while Mr. Gold is pleased.

Pissed off and desperate Emma bangs (4x) on August's door {2}. She paces while she waits for him to answer.  Although he cautiously opens the door for her, she barges in.  He tells her to take it easy.  Everything is not okay; Emma feels she's just about out of options.
August- "Just about?"
Emma-" You told me to beat Regina I needed to see the big picture. Show it to me."

David locks up the Storybrooke Pet Shelter.  He sees Regina investigating things under the hood of her car; she bangs her head.  Chivalrous David goes over to help her out.  Car trouble- It won't start. She has a car full of groceries "And, well it hasn't exactly been a banner day."    David determines her battery is dead. He doesn't have any jumper cables, but he can give her a ride home in his truck.  He insists, siting the option being a car full of melted Rocky Road.  She accepts.

Regina thanks him for being her Knight in shining armor and invites him to stay for dinner; as she bought more than enough for her and Henry. "Well, I'm making lasagna."  The Knight in flannel feels he shouldn't.  It's getting late and he has to get up early for work tomorrow. 

Regina tells David to set the bags "over there" while she reads a "note" from Henry. Wow, Mom! It is blank!

Regina reads the note and looks very troubled by it. She lies to David saying Henry is having dinner with Archie after his session instead of coming home.  David is sorry.
Regina turns on the drama- "Lately it seems like he'll do anything to avoid spending time with me.  But I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems.  You've already helped me more than enough for one day. Thank you."   David walks out and then has second thoughts about leaving the sad Regina alone. He loves lasagna.

The Blue Fairy leads Geppetto, cloaked Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket {he settles on Pinocchio's right shoulder} into the woods to the magnificent tree.  Geppetto is in awe of it's beauty.
The Blue Fairy- "The Evil Queen will stop at nothing to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. We must stop at nothing to undo her curse."  She tells them "This is the last enchanted in the entire realm.
Geppetto is very inspired. "It can be done. I can make a beautiful wardrobe out of this."
The Blue Fairy- "The tree contains enough magic to protect two from the Queen's curse. Before the curse strikes, before Snow gives birth to her child, she and the Prince will enter the wardrobe and travel to a distant land- a land without magic.  Where Snow will give birth to her child. Then when she reaches her 28th year she can begin the battle that will defeat the Evil Queen. You see why it is vital you complete the task at hand."
Geppetto is concerned, because Pinocchio wasn't always a real boy. "When the curse strikes, when the things we love are ripped away, he will be turned back into wood again, won't he?" The Blue Fairy is afraid it is impossible to say.  Jiminy's concerned they're frightening the boy.  Geppetto comforts Pinocchio, compassionately rubbing his heart/chest.  "Oh. No. Shhh. I will build your wardrobe on one condition. (he puts his hand on the boy's heart/chest again) If Pinocchio can take the second spot in it." 
The annoyed Blue Fairy and Jiminy feel Geppetto can't bargain like this. "Not when the entire realm is in danger."
Frightened Geppetto feels if he doesn't he will lose his boy-  maybe forever, and can't risk that. "Snow can raise the child without her husband. Jiminy whispers to him  "Think about the example you're setting for Pinocchio."  {Note a light dusting of snow on the ground.}
This upsets Geppetto. "Oh!  You may be a conscience. But you have not earned the right to tell me what to do."   Jiminy pleads, as he's only trying to help.
Geppetto- "Help?! Help, like you helped my parents?! Your debt to me can never be fulfilled. But start would be staying out of this! Understand?"
Sad Jiminy understands.
Geppetto picks up Pinocchio and informs the Blue Fairy "Pinocchio goes through, or no one does."
The disappointed Blue Fairy asks "And what will we tell the Prince and Snow White?"
Geppetto- "You will tell them that the tree contains enough magic to protect only one. Do we have a deal... or no?"

"The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse" the Blue Fairy explains to the round table of people, including- Granny {knitting with white yarn} Grumpy, Doc, Red Riding Hood and a few Knights. 
She asks Geppetto if he can build such a thing. Geppetto pats Pinocchio's head and proudly says "Me and my boy, we can do it. This will work."

The Blue Fairy tells them all this will work. "We all must have faith. There is however a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits... and this tree can protect only one.  A choice must be made."

Emma rides passenger on the motorcycle.  She asks August if he's going to tell her where they're going and how it's going to help her beat Regina.  August informs her "We're going on a trip, Emma. So I can tell you somebody's story.  Emma wonders "Whose story?"  August replies "Mine"  They exit Storybrooke.

Regina asks David "How did you like it?"  David thinks its the best lasagna he ever had. "You really know how to work some magic."  He cleans up the dishes for her, even though Regina giggles that it doesn't seem right, since he already saved her from calling a tow truck. 

David knows the past couple of weeks haven't exactly been easy for him, "And you've been there the whole time." {Wait... WHAT?!}  Regina can't help it. "I feel responsible for you- ever since I... found you."    Even after all this time, no one has ever told David the story.
Regina, playing timid, "What story?"
David- "About how you found me."
Regina flirts- "It's probably because I'm the only one who knows it."  She giggles in a flirty coy way and begins the/her story.   "I was working late... it, it was a cold night- must have been 10 below. And on my drive home I realized I'd left my phone at the office.   I remember thinking- just to forget about it,  and I didn't really need it, but... something inside me told me to turn around and go back.
Davis- "Um, That's when you saw me?"
Regina- "You were on the side of the road... unconscious, so cold you felt like ice. The doctor said that if I found you 10 minutes later it would've been too late. It's amazing, isn't it? If I hadn't forgotten my phone I wouldn't have been on the road- at that time."
David- "That's almost... almost like the universe wanted you to find me."
Regina looks into his eyes and leans in to kiss him. David backs away, "I'm sorry. I hope you didn't get the wrong idea."  Regina apologizes; she got caught up in the moment.  David feels she doesn't have to apologize. "I just... We... This is great, like it is."   Regina has tears in her eyes.
David thanks her again for dinner and leaves.
Angry Regina sees her reflection in the warped/distorted mirror and throws her wine glass at it- shattering it. {White roses} 

We get a (sort of) replay of the Evil Queen riding in her black carriage and the black smoke to enact the curse.  Snow screams for Doc while she labors to birth her baby.  The Prince reassures her the wardrobe is almost finished.

The worried and anxious Blue Fairy flies into Geppetto's fun workshop to tell him circumstances have changed, Snow White is going to give birth early; the savior will be born at any moment.  Pinocchio can't go.  Snow White must accompany her daughter or all will be lost. "This is a land with no magic. She will need someone to guide her, someone to make her believe in her destiny. Who better than her mother?"
All Geppetto cares about is that they had a deal.  The Blue Fairy tells him there' no time to argue as the curse is almost upon them and she must return to the fairies to make final preparations. "It is vital that you tell Snow White what I just told you.  Her child is our only hope- she is the only one who can save us!"
Geppetto asks "And my boy, what will happen to him?"  The Blue Fairy feels all they can do is have faith that one day the savior will restore all that we have lost."  She flies out the window.
Pinocchio asks his troubled father if they should tell Snow White.  Geppetto tells the boy to get into the wardrobe. This troubles Jiminy Cricket. "Geppetto! You can't! Things have changed. The savior needs her mother."
Geppetto- "No. She needs someone to protect her, to make her believe in her destiny. My boy- he can do that."
Pinocchio doesn't understand because he heard what she said.  Geppetto doesn't care what she said. "All that matters is that you are safe."   Confused Pinocchio wonders "But you told me to be honest, father. You told me not to lie."
Geppetto squats down to the boy's eye level and touches his heart, telling him that sometimes we have to lie to protect the people we love. "You must look out for the child in this new land. You must protect her."
Pinocchio is scared. "But I don't want to go. I don't wanna leave you."  They hug and get teary eyed.
Geppetto-"Pinocchio, you must remember what the Blue Fairy said... In 28 years you must make sure the savior believes. Promise me you'll do that. It is the only way we'll- we'll see each other again."
Pinocchio- "I promise."
Jiminy Cricket tells the boy "There will be many temptations in this new world, Pinocchio. But as long as you remain brave, truthful and unselfish, you will not fail."
Geppetto puts his scared boy into the wardrobe, telling the boy "You'll find me again. And on that day...I will look at you with pride.  You will be a great man, my son."  They hug.  Geppetto closes and locks the doors on his scared crying son.   There is rumbling and a whooshing sound. Geppetto opens the doors to see that Pinocchio has disappeared.  Geppetto cries.

August rides Emma past the I95 sign and makes a right onto a bridge with a 'road/bridge closed' gate that is open.  They pull up to Chanty's Lobster House and Emma starts to freak out.   August calls it a diner.

Emma- "No more screwing around! I am not a character in one of your books! What the hell are we doing here?"
August- "I think you know."  He presents the old newspaper article and tells her "You've been here before. This is the diner you were brought to when you were found as a baby."

Emma seems nervous and jumpy and not impressed he found an article about her. "I thought this trip was supposed to be about you."
August- "It is. This is my story- and it's your story."  He claims to be the 7 year old boy who found her.
Emma just stands there stunned and silent.

In the snow dusted woods a whoosh with an electrical charge blows open a tree trunk and little Pinocchio hops out. {It may be a Pine tree} The very frightened boy is dirty.  An Oceanic airplane flies overhead and he cowers from it.

And as he attempts to jump back into the tree trunk opening, he is tossed back to the ground by some electrical force/charge, where he is knocked out- having Flashes of his birth into real boyhood, the instructions given by Geppetto (and him asking for Pinocchio's promise) to look out for this child in the new land; and it's the only way they can be together.

 The boy wakes up and again is frightened, this time by the obvious whooshing electrical activity occurring.

A baby appears in the already opened trunk of the tree.  He holds the baby (Emma. White blanket w/purple ribbon) and tries to quiet her. "Shh. Shh. Shh."  Scared Pinocchio looks around his new and unfamiliar world.  The baby cries.

Emma asks August "Why are we in the woods?"
August - "All the answers you've been searching for are right where I found you."
Emma- "See! You're not that 7 year old boy! I wasn't found in the woods, I was found on the side of a highway."
August- "Why do you think that? Because you read in the newspaper? Did it ever occur to you that maybe that 7 year old boy lied about where he found you?"
Emma- "It occurs to me that you've been lying to me about everything... and I'm done listening."  She walks away, but August continues telling the story.  "When I found you, you were wrapped in a blanket and the name Emma was embroidered along the bottom of it. That wasn't in the article was it? How would I know that unless I was there?"

Emma- "Okay. Let's say you were that kid. Why lie about where you found me? August- "I lied to protect you."
Emma- "From what?"
August- "That."  {pointing at a tree}
Emma- "A tree?"
August- "You read Henry's book, right. You know about the curse, don't you?   Your role in it? It's true, Emma. We both came into this world- through this tree."
Disbelieving Emma- "You're asking me to believe you are a fairy tale character?
August- "Pinocchio."
Emma- "Right, of course. Pinocchio. Explains all the lying. (she has a revelation) You're the one who added the story to Henry's book."
August- "I needed you to know the truth."
Emma- "The truth is you're out of your mind. And you're not even a very good liar. Why not write the end of that story?"
August- "Because this is the ending, and we're writing it right now."
Emma- "And how does this story end?"
August- "With you believing."
Emma- "Not gonna happen."  She walks away leaving August stunned.  He hurries after her and yells out for her to wait and he is struck with his "leg issues" and falls down.
Pissed off Emma asks "What... is wrong... with your leg?"
August laughs. "I failed."    Emma thinks he may be putting on an act to make her feel sorry for him and that something is gonna change; he'd be wrong.
August stands up. "I am not screwing around here. Whatever you believe- or don't- this is real, Emma!  I am sick!"
Emma- "That's an understatement."
August- "Have you ever been to Phuket? It's beautiful- amazing island, full of pleasures- the perfect place to lose oneself.  That's where I was... when you... decided to stay in Storybrooke."
Emma- "How did you know when I decided to stay in Storybrooke?"
August- "Because at 8:15 in the morning, I woke up with a shooting pain in my leg! That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke- sound familiar? That's when time there started to move forward again. I was supposed to be there for you... and I wasn't.  Because I was halfway around the world I got a painful reminder of how far I strayed.  If that tree won't make you believe, maybe this will..."   He shows her his "changed into wood" left leg.  But Emma doesn't see anything but a real human leg.
August insists she look.  Emma is looking but doesn't see the wood leg.
August is surprised- "You don't see it, do you?"
Emma- "See what?"
August- "Your denial is more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing the truth."
Emma- "Okay.  One of us loosing it here and it's not me."
August- "You don't wanna believe.  After everything that you've seen, why can't you just to do it?!"
Emma- "Why is it so important to you that I do?"
August is all fired up. "Because, I, the town, everyone needs you!"
Emma- "I don't want them to need me."
August- "Well, that's too bad because we all do!"
Emma is worked up- "You're saying that I am responsible for everyone's happiness? That is crap! I didn't ask for that! I don't want it!"
August- "Right now!  A little while ago you didn't want Henry either, but then came to you and now you are fighting like hell for him."
Emma is crying, "For him! Because that is all I can handle right now! And I'm not even doing a job of that!  Now you're telling me I have to save everyone- that is beyond ridiculous! I don't want any of it!"
August- "Well, that's too bad, Emma, because that doesn't change the truth. You're our only hope."
Emma- "Then you're all screwed."

In a foster home in the big city, with many children, Pinocchio and infant Emma reside.  Pinocchio quiets crying Emma's by entertaining her with silly faces and tonal sounds.  Little handy Pinocchio is scolded by mean Mr. Raskind (foster father) for using tools that don't belong to him.  The boy was only trying to fix the crib; he didn't want Emma to fall out and get hurt.  Raskind warns him "Don't ever touch anything in this house again. Nothing belongs to you."   He takes his red toolbox away.
Gordie comes in asking the boy if he's okay.  Gordi asks him if he can keep a secret and shows Pinocchio a huge roll of cash."
Pinocchio- "Wow! Where'd ya get that?"
Gordie- "I stole it from the sock drawer. It's enough to buy us all bus tickets outta here."  He tells the boy they're all leaving right now, "You wanna come?"  Gordie touches Pinocchio's right shoulder.
Pinocchio tells Gordie "I told my father that I would take care of Emma. Can she come- please?"
Annoyed Gordie says they can't take care of a baby. "If you wanna stay here for the rest of your life, be my guest."  He walks out. Pinocchio tells him to wait; as he's had second thoughts.  Pinocchio kisses his fingertips, touches Emma's head and tells her "I'm sorry, Emma."

August/Pinocchio pays a visit to Marco/Geppetto in his garage workshop where he's trying hard to get the clock to work. He's mumbling to himself in Italian. The time on the clock is 6:05.
August/Pinocchio tells him to "Align the gear with the spindle- then press the spring."

Geppetto follows instructions and the clock works; the cuckoo bird pops out twice. "Who taught you that?"
August/Pinocchio- "My father."
Geppetto- "He taught you well. He must be very proud."
August/Pinocchio- "Oh, I don't  know about that. I don't think he became the man he wanted me to be.
Geppetto- "Have you tried to make it up to him?"
August/Pinocchio- "I made him a promise a long time ago. By the time I got around to making good on it- I think it was too late."
Geppetto- "But you kept your promise. You realized your mistake and you tried to fix it. That's important.  If I had a son... that would be enough for me."

August/Pinocchio sees the wood carved whale from his childhood on the shelf. "You look like you may be shorthanded. {Marco/Geppetto get's by} How would you feel bout taking on an assistant?"
Marco/Geppetto- "I can't pay you."
August/Pinocchio- "It's okay. I just feel like fixing things."
Marco/Geppetto holds out a welcoming hand to August/Pinocchio, telling him to come in. "Vieni. Vieni."

11:00 PM or 2:00 ? {Clocks have different times on them.}

Emma's walkie talkie transmission wakes Henry with a "Code Red. Code Red." He keeps the turned on walkie under his pillow.  Emma needs to talk to him, but it's not about Operation Cobra. "It's about us. Meet me downstairs."

In Emma's car, Henry warns Emma if his mother sees him out there talking to her, she'll get really mad.  Emma asks Henry a serious and important question. "Do you want to get away from Regina? So you want to come live with me?"   Happy Henry wants that more than anything. So, Emma has the boy buckle up."
Henry- "Why? Where are we going?"
Emma- "We're leaving Storybrooke."   She starts the car and drives off with him.