The Princess and The Hatter

Chapter Twenty One

Once Upon a Right Now in Storybrooke. . . .

You'd spent all morning trying to gather yourself to gather to pretend, pretend you didn't know your daughter was out there, that your husband was now hiding and too scared to come near you in case Regina found out. With an ache in your heart that hurt like a stab wound you finally went outside and headed toward work. Mary Margret was in trouble for a murder you knew full well she didn't commit and you'd slowly begin your revenge on Regina but first, you needed to escalate Henry's plan. Emma had to believe to break the curse. 

As you enter the station you see Regina standing by Mary Margret cell. 

"They say only the guilty sleep in prison."

"What are you doing here? Where's Emma?"

"She hasn't arrived yet." You enter the room, surprising Regina a little, Mary Margret looking at you cautiously "What are you doing here Mayor Mills, you're not needed not wanted."

"I just wanted to stop by to offer her a chance. A chance to spare herself and this town the messiness of a trial. The chance to confess." She looks at you, taken aback by your harsh cold tone but her contempt for Mary Margret distracts her. 

"But I didn't kill Kathryn. Why won't anyone believe me?"

"The murder weapon was found in your apartment, your fingerprint was on the box containing Kathryn's heart . . ." Regina now turns to Mary Margret properly "Shall I go on? Why not, for once, make it easier on everyone? Because confession or not, you're leaving Storybrooke." 

"Mayor Mills, you're beginning to step into unprofessional." 

"What do you mean?" Regina glares 

"Miss Blanchard will potentially be on trial for murder,  and you like that. Why? Why do you take such pleasure in this? What did she ever do to you to make you hate her so much?" You ask, causing Mary Margret to look at you shocked. 

"A word, sister?" 

"I can't, I have a meeting." Just then Emma and Mr Gold arrive and Regina storms out unhappy. 

"Are you alright to be here?" Emma looks at you concerned. 

"I'm back on my medication, I spoke to Dr Hooper, I'm fine." You lie sternly "Thank you for saving me. . ." you add and Emma hugs you. 

"Its good to have you back, now we have some news." Emma frowns at Mr Gold as he begins to explain his idea. 

"A pretrial interview with the prosecution? Explain to me how that is a good idea." You look at him gobsmacked. 

"The D.A. merely wishes to ask Miss Blanchard a few questions." He says looking at Mary Margret in her cell. 

"She's done answering questions. And why are we kissing up to the D.A.? Why aren't we going after Regina? She's the one who's setting up Mary Margaret." You scoff harshly. 

"And what proof do we have of that? Just because you found the Mayor's skeleton key in the cell, doesn't mean we can prove she put it there." He adds flames to your fire. 

"So, what's your plan?" Emma asks, trying to allow you time to calm down. 

"I believe our best chance of winning this case is to employ our most valuable asset." He states causally. 

"What's that?" Mary Margret asks from the cell. 

"Well, that's you, dear. A sweet, kind, elementary school teacher. Doesn't exactly fit the prototype of a killer, now, does it?" 

"That's how you're going to get her acquitted? By using her personality?" You think hard about how Snow White and her battle ready ways, but killing an innocent women? A woman who helped her husband once before. Never.