Regina tells the others that she told Zelena to give Hades a chance. She believes that she should trust her sister. As they argue, Hades arrives and reluctantly says that he needs their help. He shows them the note that Gold left him explaining that he and Peter abducted Zelena. They want a meeting with Hades so that Hades will tear up his contract for Gold's unborn child. Hades is willing to do it, but figures that his enemies won't keep their word unless he has an ace up his sleeve. He figures that Emma will help because he will offer her a deal. Hades points out that her family wouldn't be there except for her, and he'll take everyone's names off the headstones if she helps.
June 2009
Emma drives to a lobster house and shows talks to the cashier, and asks if anyone remembers a baby being brought there 20 years ago. The cashier doesn’t know of anyone, and Emma sits down to eat. A woman, Cleo Fox, sits down next to her and figures that Emma is the baby. Emma doesn't want to talk, but Cleo says that she knows Emma robbed a couple of convenience stores, got arrested, and jumped bail. When Emma runs to her car, she discovers that Cleo has put a jack on her tire. Cleo casually walks over.
Now
The next morning at the diner, Hades meets with Gold, Peter, and the captive Zelena. They've put the anti-magic bracelet on her, and Gold points out that they wouldn't be there if Hades had wrapped up the contract. Hades produces the contract and rips it up, and Peter explains that he needs a living heart to return to the living. Zelena warns that she has a protection spell, but Peter figures he can bypass it... and Emma blasts him away. She explains Hades' deal and points out that Gold is still there. Gold concedes the point and teleports away without Peter, and Peter realizes that he's been abandoned. He teleports away and Hades removes Zelena's bracelet.
Hades assures Zelena assures her that he would do anything for her, and they kiss. Energy flows through Underbrooke, and Hades' heart starts beating. The Undeworld shakes, and Hades says that his banishment is over. He tells Emma that there will be a portal at the cemetery back to Storybrooke, but it will close at sunset. Emma demands that he holds up his end of the deal, insisting that they're all going home.
The clock tower appears at the cemetery, and the hands spin faster. Hades explains that when they spin fast enough, the portal will open. He removes the names from the heads tones and Zelena insists that she knew she could change Hades. Emma tells Hook that it's time to split her heart so Hook can leave with them. Regina removes Emma's heart and she starts to put it into Hook's chest. It fails and Hades says that there are laws of nature beyond his control. He explains that when Mary Margaret brought David back, his soul never left his body. Hook has been in the Underworld too long, and his body has rotted away in the real world. Emma realizes that someone has returned from the Underworld in the past, and Hades says that it was a long time ago and there's no proof that it worked. Emma tells him to tell her everything.
2009
Cleo locks Emma up in her motel room and goes to take a shower. Once she's alone, Emma picks the lock on the handcuffs and goes through Cleo's purse. She finds a photo of a girl and the name Tasha written on the back, and takes Cleo's money. A laptop is open on the disk, open to a page about missing children.
Cleo comes out and realizes that Emma isn't locked up. Emma is at the laptop, and says that the Hancock County Courthouse has a file on her. She hopes that they have information on her, and asks Cleo to take her there. Emma offers to go quietly if Cleo helps her, and Cleo agrees to her offer.
Now
In his lair, Hades tells the others about the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus helped Eurydice escaped by feeding her ambrosia, the food of the gods. Hades summons an elevator and warns that the ambrosia wants all of the power for itself. The elevator is the only way down, and Hades admits that he's never ventured that far down. He warns that to reach the ambrosia, Emma must offer up her heart for judgment. He removes Emma's heart and puts it in a bag, and warns that the test could have fatal consequences. Emma makes Regina promise that she'll get everyone else out at sunset if she isn't back, and then enters the elevator with Hook.
At the pawnshop, Gold kisses the sleeping Belle. She doesn't wake up, and Peter teleports in. He says that he'll accept Gold for who he is, even if Belle won't. Gold says that he only cares about getting Belle home so Maurice can wake his daughter. Peter points out that he didn't get the heart Gold promised him, and offers Gold Pandora's Box to keep Belle safe until they can both go through the portal and return home.
As the others wait, Henry reminds Regina that they haven't helped the other Underworld residents. Hades points out that they can complete their unfinished business once he's gone, but Henry figures that he can tell them since they don't know. Robin arrives with his daughter and Regina tells him that Zelena and hades are helping them. Regina figures that Henry is right and tells robin to take the baby to the portal. Robin refuses and Regina says that they can trust her sister. She insists that it's best for the baby, and Robin gives in. He takes the baby to Zelena, who thanks Regina for her trust. Once she leaves with Hades, robin says that he needs a moment. He steps into the shelves and Gold appears to take his heart.
The elevator reaches the bottom, and Hook and Emma continue on.
2009
At the courthouse, Cleo and Emma wait for the clerk to bring the file back. Cleo tells Emma that she's too emotional and she has to learn how to protect herself. The bounty hunter tells Emma to find her armor. The clerk comes back with the files, but there's nothing useful in it. When Emma tries to go behind the counter to look for herself, Cleo warns he that it's a dead end. She reminds Emma of her deal and says that Emma should start again once she's paid the price for what she's done. Cleo insists that Emma keep her word and insists that they're going back to Phoenix the next day.
Now
Henry writes out the unfinished business for the Underworld residents, assuring Stealthy that Grumpy talks about him a lot. Cruella arrives and says that she wants to stay in the Underworld. With Hades leaving, she can take over as the new ruler. She plans to keep all of them there, and the Blind Witch joins her. The Witch imprisons them all in the library and Regina is unable to blast her way out.
Emma and Hook come to a set of scales on a pedestal. There's an inscription that says that only a heart with true love can pass. Emma realizes that she has to put her heart on the scale, and Hook asks if she's certain. She admits that she's not sure, but no one can know for sure and figures all that they have to do is try. Emma puts her heart on the scale and steps back, and nothing happens at first. Emma starts gasping and fire surrounds Hook when he tries to grab her heart. Emma shoves him out of the flames instead, and the doors open. They realize that Emma demonstrated true love when she chose him.
2009
That night at the motel, Emma waits until Cleo's asleep and then sneaks into the courthouse and checks the file. She hears someone come in and tries to club them, and discovers that it's Cleo. When Emma figure that she came to get her and collect the reward, Cleo slaps her and points out that the security guards would arrest her as well. She tells Emma that her parents would want her to focus on what she has, but refuses to explain how she knows what they would want for her. Emma reluctantly goes with her, but a police car arrives outside. The two women leave out the back window and run off.
Now
Emma and Hook come to a small plot and discover that the ambrosia are dead and have been for some time. The tree is dead, and Hook figures that Hades cut it down millennia ago. They figure that Hades lied to them because he doesn't want them coming with him to Storybrooke.
In the library, Regina realizes that the Witch' isn't powerful enough to confine them. She figures that Hades wants them trapped there.
At the cemetery, the portal opens and Hades says that they can't wait for the others. Zelena refuses to abandon Regina, and hades says that the heroes will get there in time. After a moment, Zelena passes through the portal with Hades.
Gold returns to the pawnshop as the town shakes again. Peter wants to go, but Gold says that timing is everything.
Emma searches for seeds, and Hook insists that they have to go as the place comes down around them. They run for the elevator.
2009
Cleo collapses in an alleyway, and clutches at her bleeding stomach. Emma realizes that she cut herself on the glass from the window and offers to get an ambulance. Cleo tells her not to get caught by the cops, and says that she has no family. When Emma says that she has a daughter, Cleo says that Tasha has no idea who she is. The bounty hunter gave her up, and Cleo tells Emma to let go before she dies. The police pull up outside the alley, and Emma runs away.
Now
Emma and Hook get to the elevator, but Hook says that he's not going up with her. He never thought there was a way to save him, and wants her to leave without him. Hook says that he couldn't say his goodbyes with everyone watching, and tells Emma to let him go. Emma admits that she doesn't know how to say goodbye, and Hook asks her to promise not to put back on the emotional armor she took off for him. She promises and they hug, and she makes him promises not to make her his unfinished business so he can move on. Hook agrees and sends her up in the elevator, and they kiss before the elevator goes up.
Boston 2010
Emma is tracing a bail skipper and spots her target go by. She follows the woman into a store where she works and shows the woman--Tasha Morris--Cleo's photo of Tasha as a child. Emma explains that she knew Tasha's birth mother and shows her everything she was able to find on Cleo. Tasha wonders if her mother is looking for her, and realizes that Cleo is dead. She thanks Emma for her help, and Emma starts to leave. Before she goes, Emma buys a leather jacket similar to the one that Cleo had.
Now
The elevator arrives at the library, and Emma tells the others that Hook isn't coming. They tell her that they're trapped an Emma says that the ambrosia wasn't there. Emma and Regina concentrate their magic on the door, blasting it open, and they head for the cemetery. Henry leaves the storybook with the pages for the residents behind so that they can find them.
At the pawnshop, Peter figures that it's time to go. Gold gives him Robin's heart, and Peter realizes that something is wrong. His father says that he faked the whole thing, and switched the heart for a glamoured wineskin filled with water from the River of Souls. Gold says that villains don't get happy endings answers and he's there to make sure Peter doesn't get his. The river consumes Peter, dissolving him, and Gold says goodbye to his father for good. He then places Belle into Pandora's Box and goes to the cemetery and enters the portal.
The heroes arrive just as the portal closes. Emma hesitates and David says that he wishes there was another way. She explains that she bought the jacket as a reminder to protect her emotions, but now it's a reminder that she has to protect the ones she loves. Emma looks back for a moment, insists that she can't lose anyone else she loves, and then goes through the portal with David.
Written by Gadfly on May 2, 2016