Emma continues to work to prove Mary Margaret's innocence, and Queenie sees some interesting new information.
***
Queenie rounded the corner into the patio outside Granny's, pausing when a memory broke through her mental shields.
"If you want to inflict pain . . . " An apple as red as blood hit the mayor's desk, and Mr. Gold sat in the chair across from a stone-faced Regina. "Then you must inflict pain. If something . . . tragic . . . were to happen to David's wife . . . and if Mary Margaret should take the blame . . . "
"She'd be ruined," Regina breathed, her eyes brightening with cruel glee.
Mr. Gold smirked. "And you'd have your victory, at last."
Regina raised her eyebrows. "A trial could be very messy."
"A trial?" Mr. Gold repeated with a soft scoff. "Now, who said anything about a trial?" Regina tilted her head, and Mr. Gold chuckled. "No, once Miss Blanchard has been incarcerated, you can plant one of your lovely skeleton keys in her cell. And once she tries to leave Storybrooke, well . . . we all know what happens to people who attempt to leave town."
Regina leaned forward with narrowed eyes. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you."
Mr. Gold took the apple sitting in front of him, standing up as he did. "Because I always honor my agreements," he answered simply. "Do we have a deal?"
He tossed the apple to Regina, who caught it, her blood red lips turning up into a malicious smirk.
Queenie gasped, looking around her and shaking her head. She had already known Regina had played a major part in the disappearance of Kathryn Nolan, but she didn't realize Gold had been the one to suggest the idea. She had to tell Emma immediately.
She raced inside into the diner, finding Emma and her nephew talking to Ruby, and all of them smiled when she came over to them. Emma seemed to notice how frazzled she was, and she quickly stood, looking worried. "Queenie?"
"We need to talk," Queenie blurted.
Emma frowned but nodded, ushering Queenie towards the corner. "Is everything OK?" she asked.
Queenie shook her head. "Gold had something to do with Kathryn's disappearance," she said quietly. "He's the one who suggested making her disappear to Regina, who made it happen. I saw a memory."
Emma pursed her lips, but she nodded in resignation. "I figured he was involved," she admitted. "There's no way he couldn't be. It just doesn't make any sense that he's representing Mary Margaret without asking for anything in return."
Queenie nodded, then she inhaled sharply and looked towards the door. Just a few seconds later, Regina strode inside and dropped Henry off at the bar of Granny's before walking out of the door, red lips curled into a smile. "Mum?" Harry asked from beside her, and she smiled, looking at where he was watching Henry. "Can I go over to Henry?"
"Go ahead," Emma nodded. "Can you walk with him to his bus so he's not alone?"
Harry nodded eagerly. "Yeah, of course," he said, hopping from his chair. "Thanks, Mum!" He grabbed his bag and raced over to Henry, who looked up from his hot chocolate, a grin on his face.
Once the boys were out of sight, Queenie sharply turned to Emma. "We've got to do something, Emma," she urged.
"I agree," Emma nodded. "But what can we do without endangering ourselves and exposing our magic?"
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Operation Cobra (Book Two of The Savior Fables)
Fanfiction"It was the kind of small-town with nothing to look at - unless you knew where to look. After all, it's a town no-one knows exists." In which it's time for the small, sleepy town in Nowhere, Maine to wake from its twenty-eight-year nap. When Emma Sw...
