The Girl and the Nutcracker ~ A Once Upon a Time Story

2x16: The Miller's Daughter

"Oh, well isn't that a good thing?" Clara asked him, "You moved on. I thought that was a normal thing people do."

Neal shrugged, "I guess so."

At that moment the door of the shop burst open, and Neal and Clara saw Cora with the dagger in her hand. Regina entered through the other door on the side. Cora noticed Clara, "The Mad Hatter's friend, isn't it?"

"Nice to know I'm known for that in Wonderland." Clara said with a smile, "Are these dramatics really necessary?"

"Yes." Cora answered as she used the dagger to push Clara against the wall with magic, and Clara fell on the ground, "Okay. Didn't expect that."

Emma ran to the front and saw Cora and Regina, "Regina, think about what you're doing!"

"Don't talk to me." Regina argued as she created a ball of fire in her hand and launched it at Emma. Before it could hit her, David entered and used his sword to deflect it. Regina then used her magic to teleport David out of the shop.

She walked over to Emma and used her magic to start choking her as Clara got up from the ground and grabbed a knife from the counter to grab Regina from behind and hold it against her throat.

Neal had now also grabbed a sword and pointed it at Cora, "Choose wisely."

Regina looked at her mother, and saw the hesitation, "Mother!"

"Fall back to Gold, I have the chalk!" Emma shouted and Clara pushed Regina into Cora before making her way to the back room with Emma and Neal. Emma put up the barrier and then called David to make sure he was alright.

Clara looked at Gold, who was laying on the makeshift bed. He looked tired and in pain, as if the dreamshade is about to kill him any second.

Emma looked at Clara while still on the phone, "Where is Mary Margaret?"

"She's not here?" Clara asked and Emma panicked as she resumed her phone call with David. Clara sat down next to Gold, "When Cora is getting through that barrier... Don't you want to your last goodbyes just in case?"

"If she's getting through." Gold replied stubbornly, and Clara rolled her eyes, "It's not a question of if, it's when. I- I have Belle's phone number from the hospital. If you want to call her, you can..."

Neal looked over to them, "Who's Belle?"

"Girlfriend." Clara responded as she handed over her phone to Gold, "It's the top number. You can choose to call or not."

Gold took her phone in his hands, "I will. I need to talk to her."

Neal and Clara walked away from him to give him a bit more space in the confined room that they were in. Neal looked at the barrier, "It's getting weaker."

"We'll make sure your dad won't die, Bae." Clara responded, "Not to Cora, at least."

Neal overheard the conversation Gold had with Belle, and noticed Gold was crying while saying words of love to Belle. Neal walked up to him when Gold hung up the phone call, "Didn't know you had that in you."

"Oh, I'm full of love." Gold replied, "I've spent a lifetime looking for you, for a chance to say I love you. And I'm sorry."

Neal started to tear up, "I didn't think you would go back on our deal."

"I just made the wrong choice." Gold answered as he held out his hand, and Neal stared at it, "I'm still angry."

Gold nodded, "I know." Neal then grabbed his hand, and they had a father and son moment.

Emma walked up to Clara while witnessing the moment, "David is looking for Mary Margaret."

"Do you think Mary Margaret is up to something? I mean, Cora did kill her mother. Don't ask me how I know that." Clara asked and Emma shook her head, "I don't think so. She's not like that, she doesn't kill. Right?"

Clara nodded, "Right." Then, the barrier broke down and Cora walked into the room. Emma and Neal quickly grabbed their weapons, as Clara used her magic to form a ball of blue fire in her hand.

"You three, out of the way." Cora said and she used her magic to teleport them to the middle of the woods. Clara sighed, "Uno reverse card. Obviously."

"Can't you use your magic to go back there?" Neal asked her and she nodded, "Yeah. I could get nearby. Because of the magic that's going on there I can't go back to the same spot, but I could get us to Granny's."

Emma looked at her, "Well, hurry up then!"

Clara used her magic to teleport back to Storybrooke and now, they stood in front of Granny's. Emma, Neal and Clara quickly ran over to Gold's shop but when they entered, they saw something they didn't expect.

Regina and Cora were on the floor, with Gold standing above them as if nothing happened to him in the past 24 hours. Mary Margaret and David were standing there as well, looking shocked.

The realisation then dawned on Clara. Mary Margaret had killed Cora one way or another.