Enchanted Forest - Past

I was hiding in the trees as the queen's men ran past. They were looking for me after my latest escape from her castle.

"Have you found her?" I heard one of the men ask.

"No sir, she seems to have disappeared."

"Find her! The Queen demands her return." With that, the guards searched further and further from my hiding spot. I waited until I was sure they were gone before dropping from the tree and running in the opposite direction they went. I wasn't going back. Not this time.

Storybrooke - Present

I was sitting in Granny's diner eating breakfast alone listening to what people were saying around me. It seems Mary Margaret and David were finally out in the open, but not by their hands. Katherine had confronted Mary Margaret in the elementary school and made her displeasure and anger known. I looked up at the door and raised my eyebrow when I saw Mary Margaret with a clipboard in hand. The woman nervously cleared her throat before speaking.

"Excuse me." No one looked up at her for even a moment so she cleared her throat again. "Can I have everyone's attention, please? I'm sorry to interrupt your morning but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us. Miner's Day. As always the nuns of storybrooke are hoping that everyone will get involved and will help sell their exquisite candles. All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So who wants to join me?" Everybody just went back to their food and conversations they'd been having before she walked in the door. Leroy, who'd already been heading for the door, approached her. "Leroy, you wanna volunteer?"

"I wanna leave, sister. You're blocking the door," he told her.

"Of course. Uh...You know, if you wanted to help it could really be a-"

"Oh yeah, right. Quite a team we'd make. Town harlot, town drunk. The only person in this town people like less than me is you," he pointed out with a small laugh. "If You're coming to me, you're screwed." He left her looking down disappointed before she also turned and walked out the door. I watched Emma get up and follow her and thought, why not. I got up and followed the pair.

"Hey. Mind if we join you?" Emma asked looking curious back at me. I just offered her a smile as we walked down the street. "So, what the hell is Miner's Day and why are you beating yourself up over it?"

"It's an annual holiday celebrating an old tradition. The nuns used to make candles and trade them with the miners for coal," Mary Margaret explained sadly.

"Coal? In Maine? If they were mining lobster I'd understand," Emma said and Mary Margaret sighed.

"Look, I don't know. Now they use it as a fundraiser. It's an amazing party. Everyone loves it."

"It doesn't seem like everyone loves it."

"It's not miners day- it's me. Last week I had 10 volunteers. This week they all dropped out," Mary Margaret told us.

"Is about what happened with David?" I asked and Mary Margaret nodded.

"Oh, I know it is. A few of them told me as much. I've never...been a homewrecker before."

"It's gonna roll over," Emma told her. "You made a mistake with David. It happens. You don't have to do charity to win people's hearts back."

"I have to do something. And this is the best I can do. I've ruined my life," Mary Margaret said sadly. Emma's phone starts ringing.

"Oh." Emma answered it. "Sheriff Swan. Yeah, I'll be right down." Emma hung up and turned to us. "Well, apparently duty calls. We stopped walking and Emma turned to Mary Margaret. "Hang in there. And if there's anything I can do to help, I will."

"Oh. Thank you." Emma left and I linked my arm with Mary Margaret's.

"Don't let this get you down, Mary Margaret. Emma's right. Once the next big thing hits the news, your story will be a leaf in the wind."

"I hope you're right," Mary Margaret sighed.

"That's how things are in a small town like ours," I reminded her, linking my arm with hers. "Something bigger will come and blow this whole thing over."

Enchanted Forest - Past

I ran all the way to the dwarves mines and finally stopped for the night in a tavern.

"Have a room?" I asked the barkeep. He looked me up and down with a scrutinizing eye.

"What money do you have?" he asked me.

"I can pay, if you have a room," I told him.

"Coin first." I sighed before holding up a bag of gold I'd stolen from the queen. "Now, about that room."

"Upstairs. To the left," he told me. He told me the price and I gave him enough for a night before going upstairs. I sat on the bed and stared at the wall. I'd gotten away. Finally.

"You should not be here." I quickly turned to see the woman from before and glared at her.

"Where have you been?" I asked with bitterness lacing every word. "It's been months."

"Did you do as I said? Did you take your aunt's offer to train you?" she asked me ignoring my own questions.

"I did," I answered. "She wanted me to crush someone's heart. Just because I could."

"And did you?" I gave her a look and she sighed. "You must go back to her."

"Not a burning chance in hell."

Storybrooke - Present

I was daydreaming in the Pawn Shop while drawing on the counter with my finer. I jumped when a hand was placed on mine and looked up to see Mr. Gold. I smiled.

"Where are you?" he asked me with a smile of his own.

"The past," I told him. "The real past not the one my aunt created for everyone."

"When are you lost in?"

"The good times when I was a child. With my sister," I laughed. "She once dragged me all over the castle looking for one book she'd wanted to read. Turned out it was on her bedside table the entire time."

"And this is funny?" he asked as his smile grew.

"It wasn't at the time. Especially when Father found us running all over the palace." He moved closer and placed his arm around my shoulders and I smiled at him.

"He will never hurt you again," he told me and I nodded placing my hand on his.

"I know." I sighed before looking down at the counter. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be distracted."

"When did you start remembering who you were?" he asked me suddenly.

"About the time Henry came to live with us," I told him. "It was slow, at first. Then, one day, I woke up and everything was there. Since I'd never left my aunt's house I didn't know where you were. And with this sickness I have, at the time, I could barely move."

"Why do you think the sickness lessened?" he asked me and I shook my head while shrugging my shoulders.

"Someone once told me the magic I had in me, if left uncontrollable, would kill me. But this land doesn't have magic. That shouldn't be bothering me here."

"You once learned to control it. Yes?" he asked me and I nodded. "Perhaps your body needs it to survive just as the magic in you is deadly."

"But then why would the sickness lesson now instead of being just as strong as it once was?" I asked him.

"I don't know," he told me. "We will find the answer."

"I hope so," I sighed.

Enchanted Forest - Past

Once I had my things set up for at least a night, I left the tavern completely and wandered around. There was a mine close by so there would be dwarfs after their workday was over. As I passed some trees I placed a simple warning spell on them. I would need time to run if my aunt came after me here. As I was walking around, someone ran into me and knocked me over.

"Hey! Watch it!" I ordered angrily.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." The guy smirked down at me but I just glared at him.

"Then watch where you're going!"

"What a princess," he sighed and I stiffened.

"What did you say?" I nearly whispered in shock. Was he from my father's kingdom? Or my aunt's?

"You're acting like a spoiled princess," he stated and I could have sighed from relief.

"No, I'm not." I tried to move away from him but he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him.

"What's the rush princess?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Leave me alone." I yanked my arm out of his grip and went downstairs.

"Come on, princess," he laughed. "What's the deal?"

"I said leave me alone." I sat at a table alone next to some dwarves celebrating a hard day's work. I rolled my eyes as the guy sat across from me.

"You didn't think you were going to get away from me that easily? Did you?"

"Who are you?"

"Call me Red."

Storybrooke - Present

I was finishing some last-minute papers at the Pawn Shop when Henry walked in.

"Hey kid. What's up?" I asked him with a smile.

"Aren't you going to the festival?" he asked me and I nodded.

"Mr. Gold and I will be going later tonight."

"I thought Mr. Gold didn't like the nuns?" Henry asked and I nearly laughed.

"You're defiantly more observant than most give you credit," I said and he grinned at me.

"Thanks."

"What are you really doing here?"

"Have you seen my mom?"

"Aunt Regina or Emma?" I asked him.

"Emma."

"I think she's working," I told him. "Why? What's up?"

"I heard rumors about David's wife going missing and I want to help."

"This has nothing to do with Operation Cobra, Henry," I told him. "Katherine is really missing and it could get worse before it gets better."

"Do you know something?" he asked me and I shook my head.

"Should I?"

"The quiet ones are always the ones with the most powerful in the end," he pointed out and I smiled at him.

"You get that from your book?"

"No. From watching you."

Enchanted Forest - Past

I did my best to ignore Red all night when what the dwarves said started catching my attention.

"I don't know. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I don't feel at all like myself. Maybe I should have Doc take a look at me."

"You're going to trust a dwarf that got his medical degree from a pickaxe? I wouldn't worry about it. Dwarves don't get sick. It must be in your head."

"It's not in his head," I told them before taking a drink of my ale. "You're in love."

"Well, that's impossible. Dwarves can't fall in love."

"Oh, trust me. He's in love. And that's not something you get over by drinking or working." The older Dwarf dismissively waved his hand before joining the others.

"What's it like?" The dwarf asked me.

"Love is what makes dreams come true," I told him. "Enjoy it while it lasts, because it doesn't always win in the end."

"But, if love's so great, then why do I feel so bad right now?" he asked me.

"Because you're wanting to be with the person you love," I said.

"Yeah, but how do I know she feels the same way? All she talked about was going to see some fireflies – not loving me."

"What were her exact words?" I asked him.

"Uh, that she was going to go see them on the hilltop tonight. That she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land." I just nodded. "What?"

"She was inviting you to go be with her to watch the fireflies. She doesn't want to see them alone," I told him.

"You think so?"

"Take it from someone who knows." The Dwarf got up and ran off.

"So I take it you've been in love?" Red asked me and I groaned again.

"Go away."

"You've just gotten more interesting, princess."

Storybrooke - Present

I stood next to Mr. Gold as Leroy tried selling his boat to him.

"Now, I know it's a bit of a fixer-upper, could probably use a new coat of paint, a few spritzes of Febreze here and there, but you can't tell me that five thousand's not a reasonable price for this beauty."

"Three thousand, I think," Mr. Gold said looking at the boat with disdain.

"I need five."

"You need five? To what do we owe the specificity?" Mr. Gold asked him.

"Trying to help out a friend," Leroy told him.

"Oh, I see."

"Look, you don't even have to pay me anything. Just forgive one month's rent for the nuns," Leroy begged.

"The nuns?" Mr. Gold asked.

"You can have the boat. They'll pay you back eventually. It's a good deal. You get everything."

"So, that's what this is about."

"Come on – you're a rich guy. You can afford to give them time to make up one month's, right?" Leroy asked.

"You're right – I could."

"So, great."

"But I won't. I have a fairly specific rental agreement. If they miss a payment, I'm within my rights to evict," Mr. Gold told him.

"Oh, come on. Why don't you-"

"And, quite honestly, it's going to be a great relief to be rid of such distasteful tenants."

"You don't like nuns? Who doesn't like nuns?"

"Sane people?" I offered.

"Oh, I have my reasons. And they're mine. Let's just say, I have a long and complicated history with them, and leave it at that." Mr. Gold offered me his arm and we left.

Mr. Gold and I walked around the festival when suddenly all the lights went dark.

"Looks like they found a way," I said.

"To do what?" he asked me.

"Sell the candles." He sighed and I smiled before lights went on at the candle booth and everyone bought a candle so they could see. Everything was going nicely until Emma came in and took David away in the back of her car.