Emma finally found her voice.
— And you want me to believe that you did this… for what reason? — There was no way it was true. She reflected on seeing Sidney the other morning at the diner. There was something between these two. Whether it was unrequited love, a financial arrangement, whatever. There was something.
— My plan was to be the one who rescued her, — he said flatly. — That way I would have a big story I could use to get back in at the paper. Write a novel, turn it into a movie.
He shrugged. Did she see a grin on his face then?
— It was my way to get famous, I guess. It was dumb. It was — I know it sounds crazy.
— Oh, I don’t know about crazy, — Emma said. — False. It sounds false to me.
— I have maps to the house. Downstairs in the basement you’ll find chains and everything. Lots of fingerprints, evidence everywhere. — He was tearing up now.
— Can I talk to you? — Emma said to Regina. Emma stood. — Sidney, you stay in here.
She walked out of the office, and Regina followed. After closing the door, she turned to the mayor, arms crossed, and said, — That was the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard.
— I’m sure that’s not true, — Regina said.
— That poor man. I know you’re behind this, and I understand that you own this game, and him, and you’ve got a rigged system in place. But I am about to start playing a different game entirely, Regina. And it’s one you’re going to lose.
Regina opened her mouth to respond, but Emma was riled up now, and she cut her off.
— All I care about is my kid, Regina. That’s it. I don’t care what happens to you and I don’t care what happens to me. You are a sociopath. You tried to take away someone I love, and now I’m going to take away someone you love.
Regina took a step backward. Emma had the satisfaction of seeing her understand. Regina reached up and took hold of a charm around her neck, began to twist it. She’s scared, Emma thought.
— I’m taking back my son, Regina, — Emma said, — and there’s nothing you can do.
CHAPTER 15
THE STRANGER
It was the day Mary Margaret was to return to work. That morning, Emma was surprised when August stopped by the apartment to install a new, intimidating-looking deadbolt on the door. Henry had apparently suggested it; the two of them had been spending time together. And despite his mysterious entry into town, and the way he had of grinning at her whenever she said anything, the man was growing on her. She also thought it wasn’t the worst idea in the world to have a better lock. The incident with the planted knife was still weighing on her.
Emma’s next step — she’d decided last night, after her confrontation with Regina — was to hire Gold to build a custody case against Regina. With the resolution to Kathryn’s disappearance came a little more clarity. Emma was here for Henry, and she was here to raise him right. Henry living in Regina’s home just didn’t make sense anymore. The woman was evil. There was no other way to say it.
— Are you ready? — Mary Margaret asked. — To take care of him? If you win?
Emma looked at her, didn’t answer. Instead she turned to the door.
— It looks like it belongs in a castle, — Emma said, looking at the enormous lock once August was finished installing it. He looked proudly at the door, then nodded.
— No one is getting in this place, — he said.
Just then, Henry’s voice squawked to life on Emma’s walkie-talkie.
— Code red! Code red! Operation Cobra emergency! — he yelled.
— What is it? — Emma said into the walkie-talkie.
— Meet me at the sheriff’s station! — Henry cried.
Emma raised an eyebrow and looked at Mary Margaret.
— Duty calls, — Mary Margaret said. — Good luck.
August left with Emma, and when they were outside, he asked if it would be okay if he came along. Emma, hurrying down the sidewalk, gave him a funny look.
— Why? — she said.
— I thought you didn’t believe in any of that Operation Cobra stuff, — he said, struggling to keep up with her. More of the limp. She’d seen it a few times already. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.
— I don’t, — she said, — but it’s a way to connect with Henry.
August nodded.
— You know that a custody battle with Regina isn’t going to do anything, right? — he said.
— You came over to install a lock, not give advice.
— You need to look at the big picture, Emma, — he said. — That’s the only way you’ll understand what you’re up against with Regina.
— Yeah, new guy? How’s that?
— It’s not something I can tell you, — August said. — Take the day off. Let me show you.
— What will you do? — she asked. — Take me on a magical mystery tour?
— No, — he said. — Not at all. But I’ll ask you to take a leap of faith.
— Yeah? Are we going to go drink some more water?
— No. Something serious this time. Something important.
Emma stopped walking, and he did, too.
— Who are you? — she said. — Really?
— Just a concerned citizen.
— Right, August. Right.
They didn’t speak the rest of the way. Emma was over his cryptic comments and would have preferred him to simply come clean and tell her what he knew. Because he did know something. At this point it was tedious.
When they reached the sheriff’s office, they found Henry at Emma’s desk. He had his book in front of him and was studying it carefully.
— What’s the emergency? — Emma said to him.
— There’s a new story in the book! — he cried.
Emma went over, looked at it.
— How is that possible?
— Somebody must have added it while it was lost, — Henry said. — I don’t know. Maybe it’s somebody trying to tell us more about the curse.
— What’s the new story about? — Emma asked.
Henry looked at August, then looked back at the book.
— Pinocchio, — he said. — It’s about Pinocchio. But it’s not done.
— Come on, Henry, — Emma said. — I’ll walk you to school. — She gave August her best «time for you to go» look and helped Henry gather his things. — You can tell me about it on the way.
— August is Pinocchio, — Henry said. — Isn’t it totally obvious to you?
— Um, — said Emma. — No.
— Why do you think he’s limping?
— Because his leg hurts?
— No, — Henry said, shaking his head. — He’s limping because he’s turning back into wood. Now that he’s stuck in a world where there’s no magic.
Emma nodded.
— That’s right. We’re in the land without magic.
— Right, — Henry said. — So he’s in trouble.
He explained the basics of Pinocchio’s story, and it all sounded familiar to Emma — marionette, Geppetto, whale, et cetera — until Henry got to the part where the Blue Fairy asked Geppetto to design a magical portal wardrobe to evade the Evil Queen’s curse.
— Hold on, — Emma said. — This story joins up with the other stories?
— Of course, they all do, — Henry said. — And they needed Geppetto to help make the wardrobe that would save you and save Snow White and protect the two of you from the curse. But Geppetto snuck Pinocchio inside right before you to get him to safety, too. He made Pinocchio promise to take care of you.
— I see, — Emma said. — Just little baby Emma and little baby Pinocchio.