Regina, Mary Margaret, and David go to the hospital ward and Regina figure that her lasagna will convince Hyde to talk. They enter Hyde's cell and discover that the Queen has already provided Hyde with good food. He says that he's provided the Queen with information about the refugees, and demands his freedom in return for any information he gives Regina.
At the diner, Henry tells Emma and Hook that he's logged the last of the newcomers. Ashley comes over with her daughter Alexandra and offers free babysitting to any of the refugees. She asks to see the list and they show it to her, and Emma and Henry go to check with a new refugee. Meanwhile, Ashley asks Hook to distract her daughter, and Emma watches as he entertains the child. Ashley asks Hook about him and Emma, and he says that they're taking things slow.
The Enchanted Forest
Ella is cleaning when her mother Lady Tremaine comes out and checks on her. She points out that if her husband had left her with money for a proper staff, then she wouldn't need Ella to clean. Prince Thomas' footman Jacob arrives with an invitation for the ball, and Ella's stepsisters run out to get the invitation. Once he leaves, Tremaine says that the royal Ball is the chance for them to get a Prince. They go inside and Tremaine chooses dresses for her daughter. Ella asks if she could go, and the others scoff at her. She says that she has one dress and shows them her mother's favorite gown. Tremaine takes it and dismisses it as wretched, and gives it to her daughter Clarinda to burn. Clarinda does so and Ella tries to pull it out. By the time she does, it's charred to cinders, and Clarinda nicknames Ella "Cinderella."
Once Tremaine and her daughters leave, Cinderella's friend Gus the mouse runs up. A key falls out of the dress, and Cinderella says her mother used to talk about magical keys that could take the user to the Land of Untold Stories. Cinderella says that there's no such things as magic and puts the key away.
Storybrooke
Emma comes into Archie's office and finds Leroy there. Archie excuses Leroy and Emma says that her magic is failing because of her visions of her doomed future. The psychologist says that it's no reason to stop striving for what she wants, and Emma tells him that it's hard to keep her secret from her family. She explains that she doesn't want to get together with Hook because she can't give him a future, and Archie says that it's about how one lives one's life, not how one ends them.
As Emma leaves, Thomas comes over and says that Ashley isn't at home. She left a note saying that Clarinda was among the refugees and Ashley had to find her. Thomas worries that Ashley is going to hurt Clarinda and tells Emma that his hunting rifle is missing. Emma goes to find her using Ashley's shoe for her tracking spell.
Regina and the others go to the dirigible where Jekyll is trying to recreate the serum that split Regina and Queen. His equipment isn't up to the task, and David and Jekyll go into the dirigible to look for more. Mary Margaret suggests that Regina try to anticipate the Queen's next step, and Regina realizes that the Queen is working with Zelena. She leaves to talk to Zelena, and David comes out. Mary Margaret tells her husband that she just wants things to be normal, and points out that she liked being a teacher. David assures her that it's the most normal things that he's heard in a long time. Mary Margaret looks at Jekyll's lab equipment and realizes that she has a way to help him.
Hook is mock-sparring with Henry when Emma arrives. The pirate asked Henry to help Emma find Ashley and Emma agrees. She cats the tracking spell and the three of them head out.
The Enchanted Forest
After making a deal with Rumplestiltskin, Cinderella goes to the Royal Ball with Gus, transformed to his human form. Gus checks out the free cheese and Cinderella avoids her sisters when she sees them. She bumps into Snow and rips her dress, and Snow tells her not to worry about it. Cinderella says that she's not a princess and Snow Margaret points out Thomas nearby looking at her. Snow dances off with Charming and Cinderella approaches Thomas. He admits that he was staring and apologizes, and admires her glass slippers. Thomas invites her to dance and they go to the dance floor. Cinderella refuses to give her name, and he realizes that she's not from the world of royalty. Thomas assures her that it's wonderful, and says that he has some business to attend to but promises to return.
Cinderella sees Clarinda talking with Thomas and they start laughing. Tremaine comes over and says that they're laughing at Cinderella, and Thomas was humoring her to make fun of her. Shocked, Cinderella leaves and one slipper falls off onto the stairs.
Storybrooke
David visits Gold at the pawnshop and asks if his father really died in an accident. Gold admits that the coin the Queen gave David was his for a time, and agrees to check his records. He warns David that the more desperate the man, the higher the price, and asks how badly he wants to deal.
The Enchanted Forest
Cinderella is sitting in the attic at home when Gus opens up the chest with the key. She takes it and uses it to unlock a cabinet. There is a portal on the other side, and Clarinda comes in. Cinderella says that she's leaving, but Clarinda slams the door and says that Cinderella can't leave. She says that Thomas is searching the kingdom for her, and Thomas was passing on a message from Jacob that he was proposing to Clarinda. She was cruel to Jacob because Tremaine wouldn't let her marry a mere footman, and she had to put on an act. Clarinda says that they're both prisoners and she can finally escape. She's going to meet Jacob at Thomas' castle, ride away, and never come back. Cinderella warns that Tremaine will hunt her down wherever she goes, and shows her the key.
At the docks, Emma, Henry, and Hook find Ashley. She aims Thomas' hunting rifle at them and says that she has to do something once she finds Clarinda. Ashley insists that she's trying to help Clarinda because in the end Ashley was the wicked sister. Emma says that they've all done bad things, but she'll help Ashley fix it. Ashley says that she's the one who has to do it and ask if Emma knows what it feels like to know her happiness lies. Emma admits that she does and her hand shakes, and Ashley runs off. Hook tells Emma to stop Ashley with her magic, but Emma can't and Ashley escapes.
Regina visits Zelena and asks if the Queen was there. She sees the rattle that the Queen gave Robin and realizes that the Queen was there. Zelena admits that she was, and Regina warns that there are strings attached to the gift. Her sister ignores her warning and points out that Regina ripped herself in half, and she's to blame for that.
The Queen visits Emma and tells Henry that she's his real mother. She insists that she's honest about herself, and Regina has never had her happy ending because she's never been strong enough to let her story run its course. The Queen says that she won't make that mistake or let the arrivals do the same. She warns them that Ashley's story won't end well, and it will show Emma how pointless she is. Emma insists that she saved Ashley once and will do it again, and the Queen says that once she's gone the happy endings turn to dust and her life means nothing. She teleports the trio away and laughs in triumph.
The trio find themselves on a road in the middle of nowhere.
David visits Belle on the Jolly Roger and delivers a tape cassette from Gold. Belle realizes that he made a deal with Gold, and David explains that he needed to know how his father died. She takes the tape and David admits that it was worst losing his father than having him.
Emma tries to work out what the Queen's plan is, and figures that she needs to work out where Ashley is going. Hook and Henry points out that she was a bounty hunter before she had magic, and Henry gets out the Storybook and checks Cinderella's story.
The Enchanted Forest
Tremaine comes to the attic looking for Clarinda, well aware that she ran off with Jacob. Cinderella says that she doesn't know where her stepsister went, but tells her stepmother that Thomas loves her and might marry her. Tremaine says that Thomas and his people won't officially recognize her because of her education and appearance. She finds the slipper and says that it's Cinderella's proof that she was at the Royal Ball. In return she wants Clarinda's location. Once Cinderella gives it to her, Tremaine breaks the slipper.
Storybrooke
Ashley goes to a pumpkin farm barn and finds Clarinda waiting. Clarinda is wounded in the leg, and Ashley checks it and discovers that it's a fake. Tremaine picks up the rifle and aims it Ashley, and says that it's too late for her to fix things.
The Enchanted Forest
Tremaine locks Cinderella in the attic and leaves. Snow brings Thomas there and assures him that Cinderella is there. Gus the mouse runs under the door and goes outside, and leads Snow to the key. They unlock the attic and Thomas wonders why Cinderella ran away. She says that she didn't mean to mislead him, and explains that Tremaine broke the slipper and destroyed her proof. When Cinderella says that she's no one, Thomas kneels and proposes to her, saying that he wants to make her Princess Ella. Cinderella agrees and they kiss. However, she says that there's something she needs to fix first and leaves.
At the castle, Clarinda shows Jacob the key and says that they can be together. Tremaine knocks him out from behind and prepares to kill him, just as Cinderella runs off. Clarinda realizes that Cinderella betrayed her, and figures that she came there to rub her engagement to Thomas in her face. Tremaine complains that it's unfair that Cinderella has got it all and she gets nothing. She uses the key to go to the Land of Untold Stories until the world makes sense to her, grabs Clarinda, and takes her with her through the portal
Storybrooke
Ashley tells Clarinda that Jacob has been there the entire time and the farm belongs to him. Tremaine drags Jacob in and says that the Queen has helped her finish the missing pieces of her betrayal. She prepares to kill Jacob, and Clarinda leaps in the mind. Ashley says that Tremaine is in pain but she doesn't get to put that off on others. Tremaine admits that the gun is a coward's weapon and stabs Ashley in the stomach with her cane.
Emma, Hook, and Henry arrive and Emma tries to use her magic to heal Ashley. Her hand shakes and she can't, but Henry tells his mother that she can do it. After a moment, Emma casts the spell and saves Ashley. Ashley apologizes to Clarinda, who assures her that it's okay. Hook hugs Emma and says that she did it.
Later, Mary Margaret takes Jekyll and Regina to Dr. Ander's garage. There's a full laboratory there, and Anders greets them. He explains that he was Dr. Frankenstein, and Jekyll says that it's an honor. Mary Margaret suggests to Regina that they can start a new science center in Storybrooke with the two doctors teaching.
Leroy puts Tremaine to work picking up litter. Hook and Emma watch, and Emma asks Hook to move in with her. He agrees and they kiss.
David is sitting up looking at the record about the coin. Mary Margaret finds him and David explains that a shepherd found it in the wreckage of a cart. His father was stabbed, not killed in the accident, and figures that his killer is still out there. Mary Margaret tells him to let it go so they can live their lives, and says that they don't need vengeance. She insists that it's the most important thing that they can ever do, and it will never happen if David is off seeking vengeance. David says that he wants to be with her and David, and says that he's going to burn the record. Once Mary Margaret goes to bed, David considers burning the note... and then blows out the candle.
Belle finally plays the tape. Gold says that it's a verse he recorded for his child, and recites it. Outside, Gold stands on the dock and looks at the Jolly Roger with Belle inside.
The Queen visits Hyde and complains that it's not fair that Emma won again. She says that Jekyll is working on a way to destroy her, and Hyde points out that he can't help her inside the cell. The Queen release his manacles and they walk out arm-in-arm.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 10, 2016