Chapter Eleven: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree.

It was a beautiful day to be sitting out in the fresh air on a bench or laying in the grass with the blanket underneath them, and that's what Henry was doing, riding his bike while Emma was in the police car watching him in the rearview mirror. She opened the car door when he got closer and got out with a smile. "Hey, kid," she said to Henry while bicycling past her, she scoffs at him. "Nice to see you, too."

"The storm!" Henry yelled as the wind was whistling while Emma jogged up to him and set the bike down. He ran toward his wooden castle that was near the sea and it was all destroyed by the storm they had.

"It's okay. We can fix it. I'll talk to Marco," she said.

"Do you think it's still here?" he asked her while digging under an opening.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"My book," he exclaimed.

"Why did you bury it here?" she asked, bending over him.

"So my mom doesn't find it," he explained while he kept digging in the same spot.

"Hiding it under your mattress wasn't good enough?" she asked, teasing him.

"That's the first place the Evil Queen would look."

"How about leaving it with me?"

"That's the second place." After he dug up the dirt, he lifted up a red metal box lid, peering inside was the book Once Upon A Time, and it was in perfect condition. "It's still here. Good."

"So your mom doesn't know about the castle?" she asked.

"No," he looked back at her. "This is our secret." He closed the box and pushed the dirt on top of the red metal box.

"Henry? Henry!" Regina called out. He hurried up and covered it up before she walked over to them, he quickly stood up and looked over at his mother. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You know you have a session with Archie this morning." She was in front of the two and then looked at Emma. "I should have known he was with you." Then she looked at Henry. "Henry, car, now!" she said, pointing toward the car. He hurriedly ran toward the car as Regina stood there and turned to face Emma. "You let him play here?" she asked in a disgusted tone, examining the castle behind her.

"The storm hit it hard. But we can fix it," Emma answered.

"Well, can you fix a cracked cranium?" Regina asked, eyeing the castle. "'Cause that's what you'll have on your hands if one of these boards collapses under his weight. You're not thinking about Henry or his safety, just ways around me." Emma gave her a look that she wanted to tell her off but she knew better because if she did, Regina would retaliate and Henry would get hurt. Again. "Miss. Swan, don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. People can get hurt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice hard.

"You're the sheriff now. It's time to be responsible." Regina walked off to her car as Emma watched her.

"Don't let my feelings cloud my judgment?" Emma echoed the words to Mary Margaret. "That's all Regina ever does." She muttered while taking a bite of her cereal at Granny's Diner.

"Well, she's just upset because you and Henry have a special place and she doesn't," Mary Margaret murmured as she took a sip of her coffee.

She brushed off what her friend said. "How did she find out about the castle in the first place?" she asked, curious how or who told her about the castle.

"She knows everything about this town. She's the Mayor," Mary Margaret said before taking another sip of her coffee. Her cell phone started buzzing next to her, she set the mug down and picked it up to look at the screen.

It was a text message. It said:

We need to talk. Meet at our spot. —David Nolan

"Everything okay?" Emma asked, seeing Mary Margaret's expression.

"Yeah, I just need to go," Mary Margaret said, not looking her in the eyes because if she did she would know what was going on. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're right." She got up from the seat and put on her raincoat. "I see the effect she has on Henry."

"I wish everyone else did too," Emma said, looking up at her.

Mary Margaret squeezed Emma's shoulder gently and then walked out of Granny's Diner, she looked over her shoulder for a moment before someone sat in the seat where Mary Margaret was sitting.

Sidney Glass held a glass of whiskey in his hand. And he was drunk. "I can grant your wish," he said while pointing a finger at Emma.

"Oh, Sidney. You want a side of bacon with that whiskey?" she asked, turning her face slightly away from him.

"You want to show this town who the Mayor really is? I can help," he promised.

"It's gonna be kind of hard to do from inside her pocket," Emma said, bitterly.

"The Mayor and I are done," Sidney said with venom in his voice.

"Sure you are," she scoffed.

"She got me fired from the paper," he said, leaning in. "She made a fool of me in the election. So I started working on an expose on the Mayor's office. And I found something she didn't want found." He smirked at her.

"Sidney, you're drunk," Emma said with a blank face. "Go home, sleep it off. Be grateful you don't have to answer to her anymore." She gathered all of her things before Sidney stopped her.

Sidney took out his business card and handed it to her. "Call me," he said. "Storybrooke deserves to know the truth about her."

After a few seconds, she looked at him then took his card and stuffed it in her back pocket as she walked out of Granny's Dinner while Sidney sat there and sipped on his whiskey.

Genie was looking into the mirror inside of his home—which is inside of a lamp—when it started rumbling, he put the mirror down on his lamp as he waited around for someone to rub his lamp, so he could finally be free. He looked up to where the opening was as he heard the stomps getting louder and louder.

"Here we go," said the Genie.

A metallic clanking sound was coming from the genie's lamp and the genie's face was blank and uninterested in what the person wanted to make a wish for. The guy who picked it up from the tides of the ocean, wiped off the water a few times before the black smoke came out of the lamp and stood in front of King Leopold.

"You awakened the Genie of Agrabah!" he said loud and proud. "You're entitled to three wishes. No more. No less." He placed his hands on his hips as he continued to speak."But you must know that magic has its limits. You cannot wish for life or death. You cannot wish for love. You cannot wish for more wishes. And once spoken, a wish cannot be undone, no matter what the consequences. So, tell me your first wish."

King Leopold looked at him for a long moment before he said something. "Hmm. Uh..." he muttered while laughing. "Hmm." He couldn't think of anything to wish for, mostly because he had everything he had ever wanted in his life. "I cannot think of a single thing I desire. I have everything I need," he told the Genie and the Genie closed his eyes for a moment before opening his eyes again. "I seek nothing more than the happiness of all who set foot in my Kingdom."

"Ugh!" Genie scoffed, rolling his eyes. He walked off to the side and sat on a log.

King Leopold sat on the log that was in front of the Genie, still holding the lamp in his hands. "You are in my Kingdom. And yet you seem unhappy."

"I have served as Genie of the Lamp for longer than you've been alive. Life as a genie is not as magical as it may appear," he complained to King Leopold, rolling his eyes at the thought.

"So you wish to be free?" he asked the genie.

"More than anything," he admitted to the king.

"Then I know my first wish," King Leopold said, standing up. "I wish you to be free."

The genie looked up with a grateful expression then he looked down when his golden bracelets fell down from his wrists. He stood up slowly, the shock was all over his face. It was that easy to be free from this curse, he thought. He looked at King Leopold with a smile on his face, "Can it be? Am I truly free?" he asked.

"You are the Genie. You tell me."

"There are two more wishes left in the lamp," said the Genie, looking at the lamp. "What will you do with them?"

"For my second wish," King Leopold thought for a moment, "I wish to give my third and final wish to you." The King gave the lamp to Genie with a smile on his face.

"In my time, I have granted 1,001 wishes, and I have seen them end poorly 1,001 times. Making a wish comes with a price. And that is why I will never use this wish." Genie puts the lamp into his little red silk pouch as he explains to King Leopold.

"You are a man of wisdom, Genie," said King Leopold. "Now tell me, what will you do with your freedom?" he asked.

"Find the one thing I've always desired, that my prison has kept from me." He paused for a second, it was an easy thing for him to answer and simple. "True love."

"Then you must come join me at my palace. I am certain you will find it there. Come, meet my family," King Leopold said with a smile, placing a hand on Genie's shoulder and walking down the wet sand.

King Leopold and the Genie have arrived at the palace, they are walking through the garden with every possible flower anybody can think of. Genie looked around in amazement. "Your palace is as lovely as you are kind," said Genie softly and kindly.

"Oh, it's more than kindness, my friend. This is my beautiful daughter, Snow," King Leopold said, walking towards his and pointing to her at the bush of flowers. She has a basket full of colorful flowers as she bent over slightly, smelling them, and turning around to face the two men with a smile on her red lips.

"How do you do?" Snow asked, bowing at the Genie then the Genie bowed to Snow.

"And Regina, my wife, the Queen," King Leopold looked and turned to the side as Regina wore a nice cream dress at the wrists and the neckline was lined with white fur along with a hat she wore. She tugged on the red rose from a tree that was filled with red roses, Genie turned and took a few steps toward the Queen.

Regina looked up with a smile on her lips as she looked at Genie. "Hello," she said with a sweet voice.

It was love at first sight. Genie is in love with Queen Regina and he knows that he can't pursue her. But he couldn't stop thinking about her, daydreaming about her, or talking to her. She was the most beautiful person in the whole kingdom. The whole land even. He wanted to please her and make her fall in love with him instead of the King. But he had to figure out how he was going to do that.

She walked to the other side of the rose tree and she looked away from him and at the tree.

Genie loved the way Regina walked, it had such grace, and the way she looked at him, made his heart race and his stomach flutter with butterflies. He didn't want to stop looking at her.

A fork excavator is taking apart Henry's castle, Henry was standing a good distance away from all the destruction in disbelief.

Emma came and ran toward Henry. "Hey, what happened? I came as soon as I could," her voice was panicked and worried.

"The castle!" he yelled over the noise. "She's tearing the whole thing down!" He ran toward where he left his book. "My book! It's gone!" He stuttered.

Emma walked over to Regina, she was pissed that she had destroyed something he loved. "Congratulations, Madam Mayor. You destroyed the thing he loves."

"A dangerous thing that can only hurt Henry and others," Regina said calmly. "You see me as a villain, Miss Swan. But that's just your perception and you're wrong. Learn your place in this town. Or soon enough you won't be in it." She walked away from Emma, leaving her there watching her walk.

Emma pulled out her cell phone from her navy blue leather jacket and a card that Sidney had given her this morning, she started dialing his number and after she was done, she put it to her ear as it started ringing on the other end. "Sidney, hi. I'm in. I want everyone to know who she really is."

Mary Margaret was on the Toll Bridge, where David stood his back to her and turned around when he heard her come closer. "I got your text. What's going on?" she asked. She was worried that something had happened to David or something.

David sighed, "Follow me," was all he said before he took her hand and walked down the Toll Bridge. They were in the woods, near the river and they were walking all over the rocks.

"David, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" she asked as she still followed him.

"What's wrong is you're late," he said, looking back at her for a second and then carefully walking across the rocks. "And the wine is getting warm." The setup was amazing, David set a navy blue blanket with a basket full of food that he had cooked, a vase with orange flowers, and two wine glasses with a wine bottle.

Mary Margaret was stunned at first then she smiled at David, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his lips, pulling away as she chuckled. David was about to kiss her again but dodged his kiss. "We have to stop doing this," she said, but David just laughed at her words.

He placed his hands on the side of her neck and kissed her again. "We just started doing it," he protested, kissing her once again.

"We have to figure out what we're doing," she said, kissing him again.

"We will," he said simply as they stared into each other's eyes for half a second. "Tomorrow."

She stared at him for a moment, thinking whether they would figure it out tomorrow or not but she decided to agree with him. For now. "Okay. Tomorrow." David chuckled at her response as they kissed each other passionately.

Emma drove into a tunnel and stopped at one of the entrances, turning off the car and getting out. She took a couple of steps before she stopped and looked over her shoulder, Sidney Glass popped out from the side and Emma looked forward. He started walking toward her with determination.

"All right, I'm listening," Emma called out to him. "So what do you know about her?"

Sidney was hesitant, he wasn't sure that he could tell her about Regina's plan. He looked down for just a moment before he looked back up at Emma. "$50,000," he whispered.

"I'm sorry?" she was confused about what he was talking about and why he just said a number.

"Fifty grand out of the budget is missing," he said much louder. "And Regina is responsible."

"That's it? That's what you have on her?" she asked in disbelief.

"The money is just the tip of the iceberg. We figure out what she's doing and it all falls apart. It all crumbles. And we'll finally learn her secrets," he said with a smile, nodding. "You see what she is. I see it. All we need to a crack in the mirror to show everyone. I'm telling you, this is it."

"All right, what's your plan?" she asked, she was putting a lot of faith in him right now.

"Tap her phone. GPS her car. Hack into her email," he said, spitting out his plans. "Dip into your bail bondsperson bag of tricks."

"No. I'm sheriff now. I have to be responsible. I wanna do this by the book," she said, firmly.

He started nodding. "She's gonna know that you're on to her sooner than later." He inhaled. "Are you prepared for her wrath?" she asked.

Emma nodded once. "Oh, yeah."

"Good. Because I wasn't," he admitted.

Emma started to walk away from Sidney and he did the same but she quickly turned around. "If you thought she was so terrifying," Sidney stopped in his tracks and looked at Emma, "how did you allow yourself to end up in her pocket?" she asked.

"I used to think she was a different person," he said sadly to her.

Everyone in the castle started clapping their hands together when King Leopold came into the room. "Happy birthday, Your Majesty!" called out a man.

Regina was sitting at one of the tables as she watched her husband get greeted by his guests, friends, and family.

"No gifts are required to mark this special day," King Leopold said, standing on a wooden pedestal as he looked around at his people. "For they all pale in comparison to the greatest gift of all, my daughter, Snow." He held out his hand toward Snow, she smiled up at her father as the people applauded.

"Father!" Snow breathed out, she took his hand and stood next to him with a smile. "Oh, Father, you make me blush."

"Every day I look upon your face, and I am reminded of your dearly departed mother. Who, like you, truly was the fairest in all the land." King Leopold expressed his love to his daughter.

Regina was listening to her husband's words when he was talking about his daughter and it hurt that he was still talking about his dead wife. He should be talking about how beautiful she was to everyone at this party.

Snow teared up at her father's words and she pulled him into a hug everyone started clapping away, while Genie stared at Regina in awe. Regina got up from the table and Genie noticed and was worried if she was okay or if something was wrong. She gracefully walked out of the room and into the garden. Genie followed her into the garden it was a full moon out, it was shining over the rose tree, and Regina was looking up at the moon.

Genie walked closer to her and he was just a few feet away from her. "Not in a festive mood?" he asked, Regina jumped at the voice as she turned around to face Genie.

Regina breathed out a chuckle. "No one seems to notice my absence," she said with a smile.

"I noticed," Genie said.

Regina looked at him for a good moment.

He walked toward the rose tree, admiring it. "Such a lovely tree," he commented.

"Yes, it's from my childhood garden," she told him as he touched the roses. "The tree and I share something in common." She stood next to him, sighing gently as she looked at the tree. "Neither of us can leave the palace and neither of us truly belongs." She looked back at the castle with a bit of resentment. "No matter how hard I try to please the King, he will never love me the way he loved his first wife. I am trapped by the memory of a life they used to share."

"I know about being trapped more than anyone," Genie said, looking at Regina. She looked at him with a bit of curiosity. "Maybe this will lift your spirits," he whispered. He took out a mirror, it was a square with gold trim along with designs that swirled around in circles and triangles with little beads in different areas. "So you can see yourself the way I see you."

Regina held the mirror up to her face slowly, she breathed out happily. "And how do you see me?" she asked, still looking into the mirror.

"As the fairest in all the land," Genie replied.

Regina looked up at Genie, pushing the mirror to the side as they looked into each other's eyes. She was happy to see that someone saw her as her. She couldn't believe that she found someone to be happy but she knew that he was just a pawn to her. She has a plan and she found the perfect person to help her with it.

There was a box with papers that Emma was looking through, it was stamped with: Town of Storybrooke: Hall of Records. File No.: 2564-0046587. Room: 454. Aisle: 08. Section: 4. From: 0046 To: 0136. Destroy After: 04532. Sidney is there with Emma inside her apartment, trying to find the dirt on the Mayor. Emma set the file that she was looking through down on the table and picked up another file.

"When did that transfer go through? Does three weeks ago sound right?" Emma asked.

Sidney shrugged. "Yeah. Why?" he asked.

Emma turned to Sidney, shocked. "Because those records are missing."

Mary Margaret walked through the door, not realizing that Sidney was with her. "Emma, there's something I'd like to talk to you...," she said before she stopped, closing the door behind her. "Hi, Sidney." She greeted him with a smile on her face.

"Hey, we're just doing some work," Emma said. "I think we may have found something on Regina."

Mary Margaret walked over to them, standing next to Sidney as she looked at the piles of papers and files on the table. "Interesting work. Oh, I approve." She walked into the kitchen.

"You wanna go by the book? Let's get a warrant," Sidney said to Emma.

"And what judge are we gonna find that she doesn't own? We're screwed." Emma said with doubt in her voice.

"Or, there's my way," he said, trying to get her to do the things he said in the tunnel.

"I want to do this right, Sidney," Emma said.

"Well, what's right is exposing her," Sidney urged. "Sometimes doing a bad thing for a good reason is okay, right?"

"Yeah," Mary Margaret said softly, "I mean, maybe you're doing something wrong but if it's what's meant to be, if it's what's right, does that really make you a bad person?" she asked.

Emma and Sidney looked at Mary Margaret for a couple of seconds then Mary Margaret looked down as her cheeks colored light pink.

Sidney chuckled at her question. "Exactly," he agreed while Mary Margaret sipped on her coffee.

"Oh, you two are doing a whole lot of rationalizing." Emma sat down in the chair and continued to look through the papers.

"Well, look what she's done to you." Sidney sat on the edge of the table. "To me. To your son. I mean, she's not going to stop. So whatever you do, you got to do something."

"Okay," Emma said, thinking for a few seconds. "Let's start by talking to her."

"And just what are you and the disgraced ex-reporter accusing me of?" Regina asked.

"Fifty thousand dollars was transferred out of the city account by you," Emma said.

"Well, as Mayor I'm involved in many transactions. Check the public records if you have questions," Regina said, not looking them in the eyes.

"That's the thing. They're missing from three weeks ago. Do you have any idea what happened to them?" Emma asked.

"Well, if they're missing, I probably checked them out as my job often requires me to do. And if they were checked out three weeks ago, well, that means they burned. In a fire. In a fire that, if I recall, got you elected sheriff. I have nothing to hide." Regina said with a smile at the two of them.

Emma walked closer to her desk, placing her hands on her desk and leaning in close. "Okay," she muttered. "There's nothing for us to do. Let's go, Sidney." She pulled back and started walking away from Regina.

"Emma—" Sidney said.

"No, she's right," Emma said to him. "We have nothing."

Sidney followed Emma out of the Mayor's office, he walked next to her. "That was your plan?" he asked, his voice annoyed. "I thought you were gonna do something."

"I did. I planted a bug," Emma said softly, smiling. "You win, Sidney. Let's do whatever it takes." The bug on under Regina's desk and she had no idea that Emma had planted the bug under her desk.

Genie pushed the doors open to King Leopold's room and stood a few feet away from him. "You called for me, Your Majesty?" he said.

King Leopold was sitting in red velvet with a gold design, he had a book in his hand. "I have reason to believe," he started saying, "my wife's heart belongs to another man."

Genie tensed when King Leopold said those words, he could hear his heart beating fast and hoped that the King wouldn't hear his heart beating wildly but he was staying calm. "Well, certainly the Queen would never stray, Your Majesty," he said, trying to calm him down.

"Hmm." King Leopold stood up with the Queen's diary in his hand, he opened it and revealed a diary entry. "And yet, her diary suggests otherwise." He held it out to Genie for him to take and read. It read:

"Last night, a man gave me a gift. And though it was but a simple mirror, it awakened feelings in me that I abandoned long ago. Hope for love, and companionship, even though I am trapped in my husband's court."

"Sadly, the diary does not name the man who gave her this mirror," King Leopold said, pausing. "I am not a fool. I realize that the Queen is unhappy and yearns for someone to love her in a way that I never can. And yet I never imagined that she would betray me like this." He said he looked far away when he said those words.

Genie tore his eyes off the diary and looked at the King. "Well, certainly the Queen would never act on these feelings," he said, walking over to him as he set the diary down on the small round table that was near the chair that the King was sitting at.

King Leopold turned and looked at the other. "Love makes people do foolish things," he said wisely.

"And why have you called upon me, Your Majesty?" Genie asked.

"I need someone with your wits to learn the identity of the man who has stolen my wife's heart," King Leopold suggested.

"And what will you do to him once I have found him?" Genie asked.

"That is my concern, not yours," King Leopold said simply. Genie nodded at the request. "Now, tell me, Genie," he picked up the mirror—the very same one that Genie gave to Regina—and held it in his hands. "Can you find the man who gave the Queen this mirror, or not?" he asked, Genie took the mirror from the King's hands and looked down at the mirror. He took the handle, faced the mirror, and stared straight into it.

Sidney was sitting at one of the desks at the police station with a radio so that he could hear the Mayor on her phone calls. "Miss Ginger, I really don't have time for more complaints about working conditions," Regina said on the phone. Emma just walked in and sat down next to Sidney. "The air temperature is not one of my areas."

"Scintillating. Find anything good yet?" Emma asked.

Sidney leaned slightly to turn down the volume on the radio. "Yeah, better than good. She made this call a little over an hour ago." He pressed the play on the recorder.

"I'll meet you tonight at Access Road 23 with the rest of your payment," Regina said to the mysterious caller. Emma looked at Sidney with shock and happiness, they finally found a lead. "Yes, it'll all be in cash. And I don't need to remind you that no one can know about this. Yes, I know it has to be tonight." Sidney stopped the recording with a smirk on his face.

"Who was on the other end?" Emma asked.

"You bugged the office, not the phone," Sidney reminded Emma.

"Well, we're just gonna have to find out," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"A payoff in the woods? That's promising."

"A payoff using stolen city funds."

"Let's go find out who she's meeting."

Regina was in front of Emma and Sidney, who were far enough behind her that Regina didn't see them. Regina was making a right turn and followed down the dirt road, they followed her. Emma tried to break but it wasn't working.

"Emma?" Sidney said, his voice rising in panic.

Emma tried to step on the breaks again but they were not working. "It won't stop!" she said, glancing at Sidney. She pressed on the brakes a couple of times before she fully put her weight on the brakes and hit a sign, Road 23 which was pointing to the left, and Road 4 pointing to the right, and stopped competing. They both groaned in pain, Emma was slumped against the steering wheel, and she looked over at Sidney. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. You?" He asked.

"Yeah," she exhaled.

Sidney puts on his hat as they both get out of the car, both grunting in pain. Emma walked around to the front of the car with a flashlight in her hand while Sidney walked to the side of the car and got down on his hands and knees to check under the car.

"We're gonna miss that hand-off," Emma said.

"Emma," Sidney said in a panic.

"What?" she asked, getting up and walking over to him.

"You know that bug you planted?" he asked, looking over at her. "I think Regina found it. Someone's been tampering with the brakes. She's on to us."

Emma looked Sidney straight into his eyes and she was pissed off. No one gets away with almost putting her in danger of being killed. She was not having it and she was going to do something about it too. She doesn't know what she's going to do but she has to do something about Regina and she can't get away with this.

"Wait!" Sidney called out while he was trailing Emma into the woods.

"The bitch tried to have me killed. I'm finding her," Emma said with determination.

"Let's be cautious. We need to think clearly." Sidney said, stepping in front of her.

"To hell with caution," she said, looking to her left. "I'm gonna find out what she's doing and why she's out here."

"She was meeting me," said a familiar voice.

It was Mr. Gold.

"Why are you doing out here with her?" she asked, both she and Sidney looked to their right.

"Just a little business transaction," he said, holding a briefcase.

"What's in the briefcase?" Sidney asked.

"Everything comes at a price," Mr. Gold simply said. "Land is no different."

"That's why you're meeting her out here?" Emma asked. "Regina bought your land?"

"The very ground you're standing on," Mr. Gold confirmed, walking down a small hill and toward the two.

"What does she want it for?" she asked.

"You know, in business, I find it's best not to ask too many questions. Hurts the bottom line," he said, looking between Emma and Sidney. "The question is, Emma, why are you standing out here in the middle of the night with Mr. Glass?"

"You don't know what Regina did to me. You don't know what she did to her son. We can't just sit idly by," Sidney said with venom in his voice.

"Of course you can," Mr. Gold whispered. "Be careful. Emotional entanglements can lead us down very dangerous paths." He walked between them with a smile on his face, walking away from them as they watched him leave the forest.

Genie was out in the garden, he had a knife and cut a red apple from the apple tree. He sliced a piece of the apple with the knife and was about to eat it when he sensed someone standing behind him. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come," he called out.

"You were expecting the Queen?" King Henry asked while holding a wooden box.

Genie quickly looked over at him. "Who are you? What have you done with her?" he asked, walking towards him and holding the knife out to him.

"The King has locked her away in her chambers," King Henry explained. "My daughter is a prisoner in her own Kingdom."

"You are the Queen's father?" Genie asked, surprised.

"Please, take this to her. The Palace Guards won't allow me into her chambers. They know I'd die for her," King Henry explained more as Genie took the box from the King's hands. "But you. The King trusts you. He doesn't know that you have my daughter's heart. The guards will allow you in. Give her this box."

"Wait, I don't understand. What is in it?" Genie asked, confused.

King Henry held up a silver key. "This is the only thing that can free her from this wretched life," he said, setting the key on top of the box. "If you truly care for my daughter, I know you'll do whatever it takes to set her free." He walked away from Genie as he watched him leave for a moment then looked down at the wooden box and key.

Genie picked up the silver key and looked at it, deciding if he should do it or not. But he knew that deep down, he was going to save her and be her hero. He wasn't going to fail her. He wanted to be recognized as a hero for once in his life and not some lowlife Genie that he was one thousand years ago.

Emma and Sidney were in Emma's little yellow bug, she parked right outside Regina's house and they both got out of the car and slammed the car door.

Sidney stood near Emma's car. "What are we doing here?" he asked.

Emma turned around to look at Sidney. "We know she bought land from Gold, we don't know why. I'm willing to bet it's for personal reasons, but we have to know for sure. We need documents that officially link her to that land." She walked toward her house while Sidney followed her.

"So you want to break into her office?" he asked. "It's locked and she's got a state-of-the-art security system and alarm."

"If we don't show this town who Regina really is, who will?" she asked.

"Do you think you can crack her code?" he asked.

"Yep," she agreed.

Emma picked up a rock and hit it against the window that was near the doorknob, the alarm started going off and it was loud.

"Emma!" Sidney said.

"Who does the alarm system alert? The police. I'm the police," she put her arm through the opening, unlocked the lock, and twisted the doorknob to get into the Mayor's office. "Two minutes for her to get a call from the alarm company, one minute to get her coat and keys, three minutes to drive here." She explained to Sidney as he followed her into the building. "We got maybe six minutes." She walked to find Regina's office while Sidney stood there for a few seconds and sighed, hurrying to catch up to Emma.

Sidney was in front of Regina's desk, leaning over as he got Regina's laptop and turned it toward him while Emma put a USB cord into Regina's laptop and started downloading it onto the USB cord.

A smile came across Emma's lips as she found every file that could ruin Regina's life. "I just uncovered every file that references the tract of land she bought from Gold," she told Sidney, then the printer printed out papers as Emma walked over with the flashlight. "Nice!" She opened up the filing cabinet and lifted up a chain of multiple silver keys. "What the hell do these open?" she asked.

"I don't know," Sidney answered.

Emma kept looking through the filing cabinets and closing them as she was looking for Henry's book, just in case she had it in her office.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking for Henry's book," she answered, she moved to another filing cabinet to continue looking for his book.

"We didn't come here for Henry. We came here for the files—" Sidney started to say.

"No, you didn't come here for Henry. Me, that's the only reason I'm here," Emma said.

Sidney hurriedly put the files inside of his jacket while Regina turned on the lights and put in her passcode. Emma turned and flashed the light to Regina. "Oh!" Regina jumped, not noticing them in her office. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Some kids broke in," Emma lied and the alarm stopped. "I heard the alarm so I'm checking it out, 'cause I'm Sheriff."

"Well, that was an awfully quick response time," Regina said accusingly as she walked closer to them.

"You told me to do my job and I'm doing it," Emma said.

Regina looked over at Sidney, eyeing him. "And you brought him?" she asked.

Emma looked at Sidney. "Oh, well, he saw it while he was on a walk. So he's a witness," she explained further.

"Mmm," Sidney muttered in agreement.

"And what did you see, Sidney?" Regina asked, trying to scare him.

Sidney looked between Emma and Regina and finally settled his eyes on Regina. "Some kids with a—" he tried to think of something on the spot.

"Rock," Emma said, looking at Sidney.

"A rock," Sidney said, nodding once.

Regina walked further into her office, taking a look around to see if anything was out of place. "Did they take anything?" she asked.

"I don't know, I'd have to do a thorough sweep to find out," Emma answered.

Regina turned to look at Emma. "It appears to me it's all just a prank," she said with a smile, placing her hands on her hips.

"You sure you don't want me to take the place apart?" Emma asked.

Regina looked straight into her eyes for a full three seconds before she answered. "Sheriff, your services are not wanted nor needed."

Emma nodded once. "Okay. Well, you know where to find me." She smiled at Regina and looked at Sidney for a moment before turning and walking out of Regina's office. Sidney and Regina looked at each other before Sidney followed Emma out of the office.

Queen Regina was sitting at her vanity, looking down at her hands, and when she heard the doors, looking up, she saw Genie coming in. "It's you!" her voice filled with happiness. She got up from her chair and started walking toward Genie. "Oh," she sighed.

Genie walked over to the wooden table to set the box down, they hugged fiercely and were happy that they were finally together again.

She placed her hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes. "My love for you grows stronger with every beat of my heart." She paused for a moment, dreading the next words that were about to come out. "But the King has ready my diary, found my mirror. Soon, he will discover the truth about us." She lets go of his face and holds his hands. "There is no escape."

"There is always an escape," Genie said. "Your father said what's in this box would give you your freedom." He released her hands and pointed to the box that he brought in. He picked up the key and handed it to her.

Regina looked at him then she looked at the key for the longest time, finally taking the key out of his hand. "Yes. I believe it will," said Regina. She put the key into the keyhole and turned it. And inside it, it started hissing, it was a snake but not an ordinary snake, it was green and scaly. "The Agrabahn viper. A snake so deadly it can kill anything."

"With a single bite," Genie said. "This serpent is from my homeland. I know all too well of its poison. But why would you have it brought here?" he asked, concerned.

Regina looked up slightly, tears running down her cheeks. "There is no happiness left for me in this life." Breathing in. "One small bite and I shall be free from this prison forever." She turned to Genie and their faces were inches apart. "I'm sorry we couldn't be together, my love." She sniffled slightly. "Perhaps in another life, we will find each other again." She looked away when Genie shook his head, holding one of Regina's hands while the other was about to put it near the deadly snake.

But Genie stopped her hand from the snakes. "There is another way," he said. "What if the King didn't live?"

Regina quickly looked at Genie with a mixture of shock and relief. "You would do that for me?" she asked.

"For you, I would do anything," Genie admitted.

They both hugged once again, Regina sighing out a relief that she wouldn't end her own life but Genie would be noble enough to kill the King himself and she didn't have to get her hands dirty. This was the perfect plan to get rid of the King.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Regina whispered into Genie's ear.

"You will never have to find out," Genie said and he meant that.

Genie released Regina, he reached over and closed the box with the snakes in them, they kept hissing and the snakes wanted to bite someone.

Henry was drawing people on a piece of paper and writing their names beside them, one was Prince Charming, another was the Evil Queen and the other one was the Huntsman. The stranger walked right next to Henry and wondered what he was doing. "What are you working on?" he asked.

"No time to talk," Henry answered. "I got to write it all down before I forget."

"Yeah, I hate it when great ideas slip away from me," the stranger said wistfully, sitting next to Henry at Granny's Diner.

"They're not my ideas. They're stories from a book that I lost," Henry explained.

"Must be a hell of a book," he said, looking over at Henry's drawing. "What's it about?"

"Stuff," Henry said simply.

"Sounds exciting," he said flatly.

Henry looked over at the older man. "You seem awfully interested in me and my book," he stated.

"Oh, I'm just being neighborly," said the older man.

"What are you doing in Storybrooke?" Henry asked.

"I'm a writer," he simply said.

"You can write anywhere," Henry pointed out. "What are you really doing here?"

He leaned in close and whispered, "Stuff." He got off the seat and walked to the other side of Henry. "Good luck with the stories." He turned away and walked out of Granny's Diner while Henry went back to drawing and writing their names down on the paper.

"Blueprints, bank statements...," Sidney said while picking up the papers and tossing them aside.

Emma was in Sidney's office, it was small but she had a worse place than she worked. "What is she building out there?" she asked, frustrated. She has two blueprints in her hands and she had no idea what she was planning. "A mansion?" she guessed.

"Well, whatever it is, it doesn't matter." He was smirking while he was looking at a paper. "Because these escrow statements have her name all over them. You were right. Personal use." The paper that was in Sidney's hands said an address—2536 Old Yale Road, (20 acres), and a name, it said Regina Mills. "She's done. We got her."

When Emma saw the paper in Sidney's hands she was happy that they finally found something to show the town that Regina was only looking out for herself and not for the people of the town. Then all of a sudden her facial expression changed and she leaned back, Sidney noticed and looked back at her.

"What's wrong? Didn't you hear me?" he asked.

"We stooped to her level," she said, looking over at Sidney. "That's exactly what I promised Henry I wouldn't do."

"Emma, we got her!" Sidney said frustrated.

"It's fruits of the poisonous tree. Illegally obtained evidence. It'll get thrown out in court in a heartbeat," Emma explained as Sidney rolled his eyes.

"No, we don't need her to go to jail," Sidney said gently.

Emma sat up straight, looking at Sidney. "Then what are we doing here?" she asked.

"What you wished for. Get everyone to see who she is. What she did to Henry she does to everyone. She destroys what people love." Sidney looked at Emma but Emma looked away. "Oh, let me show you something." Sidney pulled a cream-colored box out of a cabinet in front of Emma's legs, lifting up the cream-colored lid. Inside the box were pictures, Emma took a handful of the pictures out of the box, and it was pictures of her and Henry at the castle and other pictures of them together. "She made me follow you. She made me tell her everything. She knew about your secret place weeks ago. She just waited to destroy it till it would hurt you and Henry the most." Sidney leaned back and sighed while Emma looked at the pictures. "It's all my fault."

Emma looked at the picture of them, Henry looked sad and Emma was trying to comfort him about the whole Operation Cobra thing. She wished she could help Henry out somehow and wished that Regina wasn't so evil.

"If you don't do this, I have to," Sidney said with a promise.

Emma didn't look at him and all she said was, "Okay." Then she slammed the pictures down onto the desk.

Regina was at the town hall holding a meeting, she was still at a table with gravel in her hand and hitting it twice, she had a little gold plate that said, Mayor. She sets the gravel down and looks at the crowd in front of her. "This session of the Storybrooke City Council will come to order. We will begin by reading the minutes from our last meeting." Regina said loud enough for everyone to hear her.

"Excuse me, Madam Mayor," Sidney called out, getting out of his seat. "I have something I'd like to bring to the Council's attention." He held the blueprints in his hands.

"This is not an open forum, Sidney," Regina said to him. "And no one on this Council is interested in hearing the boozy complaints of a disgraced reporter. Now, sit down."

Emma shot straight up and stood next to Sidney. "He's not the only one who has something to say." She took the blueprints from his hands.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Miss Swan, this meeting is to discuss issues facing Storybrooke."

"Like the Mayor stealing thousands of dollars from the city to build herself a second home?" Emma asked, taking a few steps toward Regina as the crowd gasped at Emma's question.

Regina hits the gravel on the table a few times to settle the crowd down. "Miss Swan, you will sit down immediately or so help me," she threatened her.

"What? You'll punish me?" Emma asked, her voice hard. Taking a few steps forward. "You'll bully me like everyone else in this town? No. Not today." She turned toward the crowd, holding the piece of blueprint in her hand. "In my hand, I am holding documents proving that this woman, your Mayor, stole funds from the city to build herself a lavish home in the woods." She explained while the crowd started murmuring to themselves and to each other. "And this disgraced reporter, you wanna know why he was really fired? Because he stood up to her. Because he questioned her. We all know what happens to people who question the Mayor." She turned toward Regina. "You claim that you act in the best interest of all of us. But that isn't the truth, is it? The truth is, you are a thug who doesn't care about anyone or anything but herself. That is who you really are, and it's time for the people of Storybrooke to know that."

"You are right, Miss Swan," Regina said, still sitting in her chair. "I am building a house." She stood up and looked at everyone. "A playhouse." She turned around and pressed a button on a remote and it showed a new and improved playhouse. The crowd started murmuring again and Emma looked confused, watching all of this unfold in front of half the town. "The accusations are true. I did take city funds. I wanted to build a playground so my son Henry, and all the children of Storybrooke, could have a special place to play. Safely." She paused to look at Emma. "As for the sketch in your hands, it was inspired by a drawing I found in one of my son's books." She paused again. "So there you have it, Miss Swan. You've exposed me for who I really am. I hope you're satisfied." She turned away from Emma and sat back in her seat while Emma turned around to spot Mr. Gold in the crowd. Sidney wasn't too pleased with himself either, he and Emma both looked like idiots for standing up to Regina in front of half the town.

King Leopold was fast asleep in his bed when Genie held the box of the viper snakes, he stared down at the King and he wanted nothing more than to give him what he deserved. But he did have a soul and would probably regret it later in his life. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. "Forgive me," he whispered. He set the box on his large chest, took out the key, and opened the box, flipping the lid open as the two snakes hissed and popped up from the box. Genie quickly pointed to the King when he knew that the snakes were about to attack him, and thankfully they turned toward the King. The King cleared his throat but he was still asleep and turned to lay on his back. The snakes slipped out of the box and onto the bed, they slithered on top of the sheets toward the King while Genie walked closer to King Leopold, waiting for the snakes to bite him.

King Leopold opened his eyes and saw Genie standing over him then the snakes were on either side of him, hissing at him while King Leopold's eyes were wide, they were scared. They bite on either side of his neck and he starts choking while his neck and face are turning black. The snakes retreated after they finished their jobs.

Genie grabbed the King's hand tightly. "The pain will soon pass," he said gently. King Leopold kept choking. "You asked me to find the man who gave the mirror to your Queen." He took in a breath. "I did." King Leopold's eyes widen at his confession. "I am that man. You gave me my freedom. You gave me a chance to find love and for that, I am forever in your debt. But just as you freed me, so must I now free you, Queen. Forgive me." Genie started walking away but King Leopold's hand gripped Genie's hand, turning around to face him.

"You were right," King Leopold choked out. "I never should have made a wish." He took his last breath, his eyes were glazed over and looked straight ahead.

Genie looked away from him because he felt guilty for doing to this man that gave him his freedom but he couldn't just stand there while he was hurting his true love which was King Leopold's own wife.

Emma and Sidney walked out of the building and away from Regina and the other people who were around her. She stopped in her tracks and turned toward Regina, she was talking to an older gentleman. Emma's eyes were shooting daggers at her, pissed that she got humiliated in front of the town.

"Look at her," Gold said to Emma and Sidney, they both looked at Gold. "Queen of the castle." He smirked at them. "You know, what you did in there was commendable, Miss Swan. But if you really want to bring her down you're gonna need a strong ally."

"Like yourself?" Emma suggested. Gold tilted his head just slightly at the comment. "Thanks. But I'm still not interested."

Gold flicked his eyes toward the sound of heels clicking toward the three of them then looked back at Emma. "Oh, one can wish," he whispered, then he turned around and walked away from them.

"Miss Swan, a word?" Regina asked. "Alone?" Sidney looked at Emma for a second and then walked away from the two women. "I don't know what you were hoping to accomplish in there, but now I hope you'll go back to your job, which is upholding the law, not breaking it. You don't think I know you broke into my office?"

"Don't pretend like you're so innocent," Emma fired at her. "I know you messed with the brakes on my car."

Regina scoffed at the accusation. "Your brakes? Are you delusional?" she asked in disbelief. "Why would I kill you when you just saw I had nothing to hide?"

"Nothing I can prove," Emma said.

"Well, until you have something more substantial than disdain to throw my way, you're going to stay away from me. And more importantly, from Henry." Regina threatened.

"Look, that's...," Emma started saying.

"Not open for discussion," Regina said firmly. "You've lost the high ground, Sheriff. If I wanted to, there's not a judge in the world that would deny me a restraining order after what you've done." Emma gave her a look of disbelief. "You don't get to see my son unless I say so. And right now," she leaned in a bit, "I don't say so." Regina walked away from Emma while Emma stood there and couldn't believe that would happen.

In the woods, children were playing in the playhouse that Regina had paid the people to work on. The children were happy that they had a new playhouse and it was all thanks to Regina Mills. Henry was walking out of the playhouse and noticed Emma's yellow bug, he lifted his arm and started waving at her and she waved back.

Henry took out the walkie-talkie, pushing a button on the walkie as he talked into it. "Why are you so far away? Come out here," he said, lifting his finger off of the button.

"Sorry, kid, I can't today," Emma said through the radio.

"You're undercover, aren't you? For Operation Cobra?" he asked.

"No, Henry, I'm not undercover. Your mom doesn't want us seeing each other for a while," Emma explained.

"You don't have to listen to her," he said.

"Actually, this time I do. I screwed up, Henry. I got mad at your mom, about you and the book and everything, and...," she paused for a long moment, "Well, we're just gonna have to be apart for a little while."

"I don't wanna be a part," he said, sitting down on a bench.

"Neither do I. But right now, we have to. Don't worry, I'll find a way back in. And hey, if it's out there, Henry, I will find your book," she promised.

"Good luck," he said. "It's probably gone and it's probably never coming back."

Emma put her walkie-talkie down in the passenger seat next to her, started the engine of her car, and backed up, turning down the road that she came from while Henry stood up and watched her leave. He was upset that he had to stay away from Emma because he was much happier with her. He had loads of fun with her. His heart was broken into two.

There were different types of tools that were on a cloth that was on top of a wooden table and Henry's red metal box was in the hands of the guy that he was talking to earlier that day in Granny's Diner. He grabbed the pliers and clipped the lock off of the red metal box, setting the pliers down on the table and taking the lock off the box. He opened the box and it revealed the Once Upon A Time book that Henry was looking for. He took it out of the box and stared at it. He couldn't believe that he had finally had the book.

Sidney was at Granny's Diner with a glass of beer in his hand while he was staring straight ahead with a hand over his mouth. Emma walked in and sat next to him, setting the keys down on the counter.

"Looks like we had the same idea," Emma commented.

"Well, if you can't beat her, drink," he lifted up his drink and took a sip.

Ruby set the beer in front of Emma and she moved it closer to her.

He sighed heavily, as neither of them looked at the other. "How did we not see this?"

"We did. We saw it all, right from the start. We just didn't want to look. Blinded by our anger. By everything," Emma stated.

"This time," he commented, taking a deep breath. "But there are a lot more skeletons in Regina's closet. And the good news?" He paused for a moment, smirking. "You got yourself an ally."

They both stared at one another for a few seconds, Sidney held up his glass and Emma held her glass as well. "We won't get fooled again," Emma said, clinking their glasses together gently.

Regina was looking into the mirror that Genie had given her, her face was blank with no emotion. Genie walked into her room quickly with a smile on his face. "It is done. You're free, my love. We are free to be together at last." Regina set the mirror down on her vanity when Genie came close to her. "Did you not hear me? Our days of imprisonment are over." He said in excitement, taking her hand into his own.

"You haven't heard the news," Regina said, not looking at him. "The palace guards found the snake. They know it's from your country. They know it was you who killed the King." Genie looked shocked at the words Regina was saying to him. "It's only a matter of time before they catch you. You will be executed." Genie released her hand as Regina heaved a sign. "I'm sorry, but we will never be together." She turned in her chair and then stood up. "Come. I've arranged for a boat to provide you safe passage out of the Kingdom." She walked past him, still not making eye contact with Genie. "You must leave at once." She walked to the bag full of clothes for Genie to take when he left.

Genie was shocked by all of this and he couldn't believe it at all, then all of a sudden it hit him. He made the connection. He couldn't believe that she–Queen Regina–would set him up like to. Made him fall in love with her. Told all those lies to him. He believed it all. "The Agrabahn viper," he whispered, Regina stopped what she was doing. "Of all the snakes in all the world, that is what you chose." Genie took a few steps toward Regina. "You wanted the murder to be traced back to me." He kept walking toward her. "You... You fooled me. You never loved me."

Regina looked over her shoulder, her face blank still with no emotions. "Loved you?" she echoed in a cold voice, fully turning around to look at Genie. "I wanted the King killed and you killed him." She paused. "You are no longer of any use to me. Be grateful I'm offering you an escape. Now, flee the Kingdom and never turn back." She didn't even blink when she admitted it.

Genie shook his head, looking at Regina. "I can't live without you," he admitted. "I won't live without you."

"Did you not understand me?" Regina shouted. "I don't love you," she whispered. "There is no way we will ever be together."

"There is one way," Genie said, pulling out his lamp from his bag. "There is still one wish remaining. I wish to be with you forever. To look upon your face always, to never leave your side." A blue smoke went around Genie and the lamp fell to the floor, Regina looked around to see where he went, and she gasped.

"No!" Genie said, Regina, kept looking around up at the ceiling. "No!" he yelled out again. Regina looked down at her mirror the one that she kept in her hand, she lifted it up to her face. "No!" he screamed from inside the mirror, his fists banging on the mirror.

Regina gasped, touching the edge of the mirror. "Well, looks like you got your wish," she said, smiling. "You will be with me, forever." She smiled evilly as they both stared at each other. This was the best revenge that Regina could have.

Sidney was looking at himself in the mirror while Regina stood behind him with a smirk on her lips. "Have a seat, Sidney," Regina ordered. Sidney turned his back on her and sat down on the couch, just like what she said. She watched him for a moment still with a smirk on her face. She sighed heavily as she walked in front of him, sitting down on the same couch. She reached toward the coffee table for a red apple that was in front of them. "Well?" she asked, looking at the red apple.

Sidney brought out a tape recorder and pressed play. "You got yourself an ally," Sidney said on the recorder.

"We won't get fooled again," Emma said.

Regina laughed to herself. "She bought it," she was proud of herself.

"All of it," Sidney said, putting the recorder away, and looking at Regina with a smile.

"Masterful job, Sidney," Regina said, looking at him. "Top to bottom. And cutting the brakes on her car?" she chuckled briefly. "Inspired."

"I'm glad you approve," Sidney said, taking the apple and holding it.

"Now she trusts you. Now we can have some fun."

"Everything she does, everywhere she goes, you'll know about it."

"Oh," Regina breathed out, smiling. She placed a hand on his thigh and rubbed it gently. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sidney." They both smiled at each other, evilly.