STORYBROOKE, Maine

"They know where the dagger is." Rebekah told Jefferson as they left the diner, ready to meet up with Mary-Margaret, David, and the Blue Fairy. "Also, Hook attacked Gold," she said with a sigh. She was the one who told Hook where he could find Rumpelstiltskin — she pointed him in the direction. And now the man was slowly dying from poison because of it.

"Attacked?" Jefferson said back in disbelief. "Attacked how?"

Rebekah walked across the street, looking back to the diner where Grace stood in the doorway watching her parents leave. She frowned, not liking the idea of Grace not with them, but if there was one person she trusted to protect Grace in Storybrooke, it was Ruby.

"Poison on his hook," Rebekah explained. "David didn't say much after that. He just needed us to get to the--" She stopped herself from speaking. Rebekah looked around at the people walking on the street — any of them could be working for Cora. She could have an army of spies all over the town by now. Something didn't feel right.

"Bex?" Jefferson took her hand as they continued to walk towards the clock tower. "What is it?"

Rebekah shook her head. "This all feels too easy." She confessed, looking to Jefferson who frowned at her words.

"You think this is all part of Cora's plan?"

"Getting someone else to do her dirty work?" Rebekah nodded. "What if it wasn't a coincidence that Snow overheard Cora and Regina talking? She'd know Snow would do anything to try and get the dagger before they could. We're leading them straight to it." She stopped walking, standing across the street from the clock tower.

The sound of glass shattering above them caused both Jefferson and Rebekah to look up, eyes wide in horror as a body landed on the floor at a speed that Rebekah's magic couldn't stop. Jefferson's arms wrapped around her body, turning her away so she didn't see the aftermath. Rebekah began to panic -- who was it? Who did the body belong to?

"No!" She heard a familiar voice cry. She looked up to see Snow White and David standing in the tower looking down at the body. Her friend was sobbing uncontrollably while David tried to soothe her, much like Jefferson was trying to do for Rebekah.

"Who is it?" She whispered, not brave enough to look.

Jefferson only pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. "I'm not sure," he said. Rebekah felt his head lift and she knew he was looking to David and Snow. "We're too late," Jefferson told Rebekah softly. "Regina and Cora have the dagger."

Rebekah grabbed his jacket, fisting at the fabric while hiding her face against his chest as angry tears began to fall. Why hadn't she realized sooner that this was a trap? Someone had died. Cora and Regina had crossed a line they couldn't come back from.

Rebekah finally pulled away from Jefferson, looking up at him. "What are we going to do?"

Jefferson shook his head, just as a lost as her. "Run." He said his first thought. "Get our family the hell out of Storybrooke."

She loved him for wanting their family to be safe. But Rebekah refused to run. "I can't let Regina and Cora get away with this, Jefferson." She whispered to him. When she turned her head slowly to look over at the body, she saw that more people had gathered around it, all crying out in either horror or grief. David and Snow were walking over to where she and Jefferson stood, David's arm wrapped around Snow to help keep her standing up right.

As soon as Snow got to Rebekah, she collapsed into her open arms, crying out as she told Rebekah everything that had happened and that the body on the ground belonged to Johanna. A woman in the castle who looked after both Snow and Rebekah while they grew up. Rebekah felt her heart sink, mourning the sweet woman.

"We'll lay her to rest," Rebekah said, pulling away from Snow and wiping away her tears.

Snow nodded her head, still crying.

They'd give Johanna a proper burial.

After that, Rebekah was going to find Cora and Regina and make them pay for what they did.

X

Regina sighed as she walked through the doors to her home office. "It's nice to be back." She commented, taking a moment to look around the room as Cora strode through, walking straight to Regina's desk, Rumpelstiltskin's dagger still safely in her hand. "Hiding is quite wearisome."

She watched as Cora took a seat at her desk, placing the dagger down in front of her. Regina eyed the dagger before turning her attention back to Cora, who smirked as she looked at her. "I like what you've done with the place."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek, hearing her mother compliment her. None of her mother's so-called compliments ever felt genuine, even now as they worked together. But even though they were working together, Cora still kept things from Regina--important details that she deserved to know. "I'm so glad you approve," she said, trying to sound sincere.

Cora's brows furrowed, eyeing Regina. "What is it, my love?" She asked. "You're troubled."

"You never told me about your history with Snow's mother."

Cora nodded. "I spared you that burden like any good parent would."

Good parent?

"You didn't think I deserved to know exactly what it took for me to become queen?" Regina asked Cora.

"Now you know."

It all started to click. Cora had planned everything -- nothing would have stopped her plans of Regina becoming Queen. How could it when she planned every single detail?

"That day at the stables -- when I rescued her...that wasn't an accident, was it?"

A memory flashed in Regina's head of that day. An unplanned riding lesson -- Cora's kindness in letting Regina spend more times with Rocinante; the rush of joy she felt of being able to see her stable boy; her Daniel. Oh, the whole thing had just been a clever ruse to get Regina at a certain place at a certain time.

"You made sure that I'd be at the pastures when Snow rode past. You had to make sure that when I met Snow White, her father would be searching for a new queen."

"And what does this knowledge change for you?" Cora asked Regina.

Regina scoffed, walking forward to the desk her mother sat at. "That you won, mother." She said. "That I am the queen, and if that's what you wanted so badly, why do you need Rumpelstiltskin's dagger now?"

Cora smiled softly at Regina. "You're worried that my interests are no longer aligned with yours."

"My only interest now is Henry." Regina stated.

"And I've told you -- you'll have him."

"But how?" Regina asked. "Now that Mary-Margaret and David know we have the dagger, we can't use Gold to kill them without Henry finding out."

"Have patience, my love." Cora looked down at the dagger. "By the time Rumpelstiltskin returns, Emma Swan and the rest of them will be nothing more than a vaguely unpleasant memory and Henry will be yours," she promised while stroking the dagger.

Regina felt ill to her stomach.

What was her mother planning?

X

Rebekah watched as Snow carefully buried a flower on top of Johanna's grave as they stood just outside of the graveyard under a large tree. When Snow moved back over to where David, Rebekah and Jefferson stood, Rebekah placed her hand on Snow's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "It was a beautiful service."

"That never should have happened," Snow said, voice thick with grief. "Johanna was an innocent."

"You can't blame yourself." David stepped in. He sighed, moving his hand to rest on Snow's back. "You did the best you could do in an impossible situation."

"And yet Regina's family mausoleum remains untouched," Snow said, looking straight ahead to where Henry Sr. was buried. Rebekah frowned, knowing it had been too long since she visited her father's grave.

"Mary-Margaret," David said, hearing something in what Snow said that Rebekah hadn't.

"I've followed the same rules my entire life -- hold on to goodness. It's what my mother taught me. How many more lives is following that lesson going to take away from me?" Snow asked, her tone bitter.

"You can't let Cora make you lose faith in who you are -- someone who does the right thing. You know that's exactly what she wants," David told Snow.

"I made the right decision when I stopped Regina's execution all those years ago when it could've saved us all of this heartbreak." She shook her head. "Regina would have never found you -- you," she looked to Jefferson, who stood by his wife, "you would have never been left in Wonderland. Grace would have grown up with her parents together." She said this in anger and Rebekah felt a rage fill her, the same rage Snow felt. Snow was right. "I made the right decision," she said bitterly. "When I sent Emma through the wardrobe alone -- and we didn't see her first steps -- I made the right decision when I let my own mother die from Cora's poison."

"-And we keep beating them," David told Snow.

"At what cost?" She asked, "All I want is our happy ending. It's time. We've earned it," Snow said. "No more lives lost," she declared. "No more hearts broken."

"The dagger," David reminded Snow. "It's useless until Gold returns to Storybrooke. We have time. We'll get it back and when we do, we can bring Cora and Regina to justice."

"I don't care about justice anymore." Snow told them all. "We keep thinking that people will change. What if that's wrong?" She said quietly. "What if I'm the one who has to change?"

"Change how?" Rebekah asked, finally speaking.

Snow looked over at her for a long moment before speaking. "I'm going to kill Cora."

"No," Rebekah shook her head as she took Snow's hand. "We are." She wouldn't let Snow go through this alone; together they'd put an end to Cora.

At the feeling of Jefferson's hand on her back, Rebekah looked away from Snow and to her husband. His brows were furrowed, eyes worried as he took in a deep breath. "If you go through with this--" She knew he wasn't trying to talk her out of it; he knew her well enough not to.

"When I go through with this," Rebekah corrected him. "Nothing is going to stop me."

"Bex," he said her name softly, "this is dangerous."

"I know," Rebekah agreed. "But Cora being alive is more dangerous."

It was the truth.

Everyone knew it.

Cora needed to be defeated.

X

"Hey, I just talked to Emma." Cora watched curiously as the black box Regina had brought out drew out sound, a voice coming from the box that belonged to none other than Prince Charming. When Regina had told Cora that they'd be listening in on Snow White and the Prince's plans, she thought they'd use magic – not this odd device. This world was much more advanced than Cora could have ever imagined. "It's a bad wound. She says it's poison." Good. Hook had done his job. "They can only cure it back here in Storybrooke. They're taking the ship home." That caused Cora to frown. If they were using Hook's ship, they'd get here much sooner than expected. She moved her hand to conceal her frown, not wanting her daughter to see the troubled look on her face. Regina didn't need to know she was worried – they just needed to stick to the plan.

"Well," Snow White's voice came through the box clearly. "Let them know that they have the knife, okay? Who knows what that wicked woman would do?"

Cora made a face, dropping her hand to the box and knocking it over until it clattered on the ground by her feet. How dare Snow White speak that way of her?

"Mother!" Regina hissed.

"I don't like what that enchanted box was saying," Cora admitted. "I'm not – I'm not wicked," she stressed.

A voice in her head told her that many would disagree to that statement. Rebekah. Cora grimaced. She had Regina at her side but not her youngest – the stubborn child. A child she never wanted in the first place! A child who begged and begged to be loved – didn't Rebekah understand? That was impossible! And now Rebekah was working with Snow White and Prince Charming; all too eager to watch her demise.

"It's not an enchanted box. It's a phone tap," Regina told Cora as she picked the box up from the ground.

"I don't care," Cora stressed. "What matters is they've been warned." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Rumpelstiltskin's smart," Cora admitted. He had fooled her before; Rebekah was living proof of that. "And now he has time to think."

"But he's injured," Regina reminded her mother.

Cora glanced down at the dagger, eyes widening as she watched the first letter of Rumpelstiltskin's name fade off of the blade. She picked it up to examine it, wanting to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "More than injured, I'd say." She tilted her head as more letters faded away. "He's dying." She looked to Regina. "When his name disappears, all of that power of his will just...boil off into the air and then there will be no new Dark One."

No one to control.

Cora knew what she needed to do now.

"Okay," Regina took in a quick breath. "So we have to use him to get Henry back before he dies."

"Not in his condition," Cora said, back facing Regina now as she walked to the middle of the room. "I don't want to kill him faster. No," she shook her head, "there are no other options." Cora declared as she turned back to face Regina. "I have to stab him with this knife and take his power as my own." She told Regina. "I have to become the Dark One...and with his power," she could practically envision it as she spoke, "there is nothing I won't be able to do."

Regina shook her head. "But Henry's never going to forgive that!" She tried to get Cora to see. But the woman's lust for power was too great now. Cora watched as Regina walked forward "And the whole point of this is," she stopped suddenly, a look of hurt flashed in her eyes. "Wait...what is the point of all this?" Regina asked, her tone soft, almost scared.

"To protect our family!" Cora said, holding onto the dagger tightly as she moved closer to Regina.

"Or you gaining your power?" Regina questioned Cora's motives.

Cora sighed. "Whatever power I gain...is for us. To protect you, to protect Henry."

"What about Rebekah?" Regina asked.

Cora shook her head. "She chose her side."

"Mother," Regina tried to argue, but Cora didn't let her.

"If we lose this battle, we spend the rest of our short lives on our knees in front of them," she stressed. "And that, my love...is something I'll never do." Regina opened her mouth to argue. "Your sister," she felt an odd taste in her mouth even saying the word, "was never meant to be. I'll shed no tears over her death if she stands in my way," Cora said, walking away from Regina and leaving the room.

This was war.

And Cora didn't intend to lose it.

X

Ruby, Rebekah, Jefferson, and Grace were waiting for Emma when the ship docked. Jefferson watched as Emma struggled to hold up Gold, a man Jefferson didn't recognize helping her carry his weight. His eyes widened when he realized that the man was Rumpelstiltskin's son. Baelfire. He looked briefly to Rebekah, who hurried over to Emma and Henry.

"Where's Hook?" She asked, looking past Emma to the invisible ship. Rebekah didn't seem too concerned with the fact that her biological father was bleeding out – or the fact that her brother was with them. She only focused on her rage. That's what worried Jefferson.

"Tied up in the lower deck." Emma told Rebekah, moving out of the way as Ruby swooped in to help Gold stand upright.

Snow White and David pulled up behind where Jefferson and Grace stood. "Are you okay?" Snow asked in a worried tone as she jumped out of the truck.

"Yeah," Emma said. "I'm alright." She told her mother.

"Uh, I drove a ship," Henry said.

"What?!" Grace exclaimed in excitement. "You did?"

The exchange between Henry and Grace seemed to calm Rebekah's rage, her face softening as she touched Henry's shoulder as they all walked forward. It seemed as though whatever she had planned for Hook would come later. Jefferson was glad; he didn't want Grace around when Rebekah decided that pirate's punishment.

"Yeah," Henry beamed, looking up at the man standing beside him. "My dad showed me how."

"That's me," the man --- Baelfire, said awkwardly.

Rebekah eyed him briefly, and Jefferson watched as she stopped walking, staying back with Emma, Snow, Grace, and Ruby as Baelfire, David and Henry helped Gold to David's truck.

"Thank you," Gold said in a grunt as he leaned against the truck.

"Is Cora trying to control you with the dagger?" David asked, holding tightly to Gold in case he tried to escape.

"Oh, you'd know if she was," Gold said breathlessly. "And most of you'd be dead by now." Jefferson watched as Gold's gaze flickered briefly to Rebekah, who was walking up to them now.

"Well, then we'll just have to take the fight to her before that can happen," she said.

"And this time we finish it." Snow added, standing next to Rebekah.

"Mary-Margaret," David sighed.

"David!" Mary-Margaret huffed out in anger. "She needs to be stopped – she needs to be killed. This is our family and we are going to protect it!"

"Of course, we will!" David said, rushing over to Snow to grab a hold of her. "But what you're talking about goes beyond that!"

"I don't think it does," Rebekah mumbled in a flat tone.

"Bex," Jefferson said, trying not to smile in amusement. Snow and David continued to argue. Jefferson took that time to pull Rebekah aside, taking her hands in his. "He's got a point."

"How so?" She asked.

"You killing Cora...I get that you want to do it so that Snow doesn't have to but...she's your mother."

"Yeah, and Rumpelstiltskin's my father," Rebekah told Jefferson. "None of those things matter to me."

"Wait," Baelfire stepped forward, looking at Rebekah. Jefferson watched as his wife looked to the man who was her brother, swallowing hard as examined her. "Did you just...did you just say--"

Emma stepped forward, clearly seeing the panicked look in Rebekah's eyes. "Now is probably not the best time to get into who is related to whom here." She then looked to Gold. "You okay?" The blonde woman asked, Rebekah, Jefferson and Baelfire following after her.

Gold nodded. "Ah, I'm beginning to feel a bit stronger." He told Emma. "Take me back to my shop. The magic there can protect us."

"Let me guess," Henry said as David and Baelfire took Gold to the passenger side of the truck. "Grace and I get to go with Ruby."

Jefferson huffed out a laugh. Henry might not be biologically related to Rebekah, but he sure did have her sass. He paused, realizing Henry and Rebekah were related through Henry's father; Rebekah's biological half brother. He smiled, realizing sass was a family trait.

"You got it kid," Emma told him.

Ruby smiled softly at Emma and Rebekah. "I'll keep them out of the crossfire."

"Thank you," they both said.

"Don't look so worried," Henry told them. "You'll stop Cora. You won't let her get away." He tried to assure them.

If only they were all that optimistic.

"Gracie-girl," Rebekah said, gesturing for Grace to come over to where she and Jefferson stood. "Keep that bracelet on, okay?" Rebekah had enchanted the bracelet to hide Grace from both Cora and Regina's powers – but if they used the dagger to make Gold tell them where Grace and Henry were, Rebekah's magic was nothing against the Dark One's. Jefferson shook his head, not wanting to think about that. "Henry," she pulled out one of Jefferson's scarves, wrapping it around the little boy's neck. "Don't take it off," she told him.

"Magic?" Henry asked.

Rebekah winked. "Magic."

Jefferson felt Grace tugging at his hand, pulling him away from Rebekah and Henry. "You'll be okay." He told her, kneeling down so they were eye level. "Ruby won't let anyone get near you."

"I'm not worried about me." Grace admitted. "I'm worried about Mama."

Jefferson frowned. As was he. "I'll protect her."

"What if you can't?" She asked, and Jefferson felt dread fill him.

"Nothing is going to happen to Mama." He swore to his daughter. "I wasn't able to protect our family before but...I promise you, Grace, I will this time." He pressed a kiss to his daughter's forehead before hugging her tightly.

This is not goodbye, he told himself. This wasn't going to be the last time he saw his daughter. They'd make it out of this and together they'd all live happily ever after.

They deserved it.

X

"Emma, did you find it?" Gold asked as Emma walked forward, the blonde woman holding an empty jar in her hand, looking at it curiously.

"Yeah. There's nothing in it," Emma said, shaking the jar only to stop when she heard something clinking around in the jar. She made a face, looking inside. "What the hell?" She reached her hand in the jar, feeling something against her finger tips. Emma pulled it out, still seeing nothing but holding an object between her fingers.

"Invisible chalk," Gold told her. "Use it in the front doorway." He ordered her. "Draw a line...the rest of you...you might want to prepare for battle."

Emma nodded and walked out of the room, Neal and David following. Jefferson and Rebekah were already in the front on guard. Working with Jefferson wasn't exactly something Emma wanted to be doing – but he was risking his life to protect them all from Cora. A woman who had tormented him in Wonderland. Not for us, Emma thought. For Bex. Of course he wouldn't leave her side.

"Bex?" Emma said as she walked into the front room to see Rebekah and Jefferson standing close to one another, talking quietly. "Give me a hand with...invisible chalk?"

She wanted to talk to Rebekah alone; or, as alone as they could get. Emma needed to make sure that Rebekah was willing to go against her sister and mother; would it be a conflict of interest? Would she change her mind at the last minute and switch teams? Cora was able to persuade Regina easily – why not Rebekah, too?

Emma watched as Rebekah smiled softly up at Jefferson, tilting her chin up to meet his lips in a kiss. She looked away, focusing on the invisible chalk.

"Invisible chalk you say?" Rebekah said, now standing in front of Emma.

"I guess if I draw a line in front of the door...that somehow will stop Cora and Regina from coming in."

Rebekah carefully took the chalk from Emma, eyeing the invisible object. "And here I thought my enchanted objects to cloak Henry and Grace were cool."

"Thank you for that," Emma said as they walked over to the door. "For hiding Henry away too."

"Just because the curse is broken doesn't mean that Henry is no longer my family." She told Emma. Though, technically, Henry was biologically related to her now. Not just through adoption. "Besides, I've always made my own family. First with Snow, the Huntsman – Jefferson," She smiled over at her husband as he began to move things against the windows to barricade them in. "We created our own family and now," she moved her hand to rest on her belly, "that family is expanding." Rebekah smiled. "You and Henry are also included in that family...along with," Emma looked over her shoulder to see who Rebekah was looking at Neal, "Henry's father."

"Your brother." Rebekah inhaled deeply and gave Emma a look. "He's engaged." She said in a whisper as they walked over to the door, Rebekah's brows raising as she handed over the piece of chalk to Emma. "Yup."

Emma began to draw the line on the ground. "I'm uh," Rebekah said awkwardly, "going to help Jefferson with some heavy lifting."

"What?" Emma continued to draw on the ground. "You're pregnant!" She huffed out, looking over her shoulder and saw why Rebekah had gone off to the other side of the store.

Neal.

"Missed a spot," Neal told her.

"You're hilarious."

He chuckled. "I certainly know how to clear out a room." He nudged his head in Rebekah's direction. Emma frowned. "I have a sister," He stated, looking to Emma. "A son and a sister." Emma continued on drawing the line. "What's her name?"

"You should go ask her," Emma suggested.

"I would," Neal said. "But every time I walk into the same room as her, she instantly leaves."

Emma chuckled. Rebekah wasn't exactly subtle. "Give her a break – she just found out she had a brother, too."

He blinked in surprise. "She didn't know about me?" Neal asked. "I figured Pa-," he quickly corrected himself, "uh, Rumpelstiltskin would have at least mentioned me."

"He didn't raise her," Emma said, wincing slightly. She shouldn't be the one telling him this. It should be Rebekah.

"Who did?" Neal asked.

"Cora."

Dammit! Why couldn't she just shut up? Why was being around Neal so familiar that she felt like she could say anything to him?

"Cora – the woman we're fighting against. That's her mother?"

"Look, it isn't my place to tell you her story. Just know that this is all new to her, too. She didn't know Gold was her father until after the curse was broken."

Neal sighed, nodding his head. Emma went back to drawing, but could still feel Neal's eyes on the back of her head. "I didn't know you were magical," he said the word with a little distaste.

Emma looked up at Neal with wide eyes. "Oh my Go- Are you being judgey about this? 'Cause you're not allowed to have opinions on surprises, Mr. Son of Rumpelstiltskin."

"Ohhh," he drew the word out.

"What oh?"" Emma said, looking back at Neal.

He shrugged. "I didn't mean for Tamara to be a surprise."

Emma scoffed quietly. "You think I care that a guy I dated a decade ago is engaged?"

Before Neal could say anything, Emma looked past him to see Jefferson walking up to them. "We're all clear."

Never in her life did she think she'd be grateful for Jefferson. Yet here she was.

"Great." She said, forcing a smile.

"Outside too." David walked in. He looked between Emma and Neal, sensing the tension. "Everything okay?" He asked.

Emma nodded. No, it wasn't okay. But she wasn't going to admit that. "Where's Bex?" She looked to Jefferson.

"She went in the back to check on Gold and Snow," he answered.

X

Rebekah found Snow with Gold, holding onto a candle – a candle that it seemed Snow had history with, from the way she held it in her shaking hand. Rebekah frowned, walking into the room to stand next to Snow. "What's going on?" She asked.

Snow looked over at her, still holding the candle. "He lied." She informed Rebekah. "He's not getting any better."

From the look of Gold, it seemed as though Snow was right. "The candle can save me." He told them both, sweat dripping down the side of his face as he tried to sit up right. "There's nothing else."

Snow scoffed. "I wouldn't use this to save my own mother – what makes you think I would use it for you?"

Rebekah sighed, realizing what Snow was holding now. A candle that traded a life for a life. The candle Cora tried to trick Snow into using to save her mother after poisoning her.

"Because you're all grown up now." Gold told Snow, causing Rebekah to glare at him. "And for once, our interests are aligned."

Snow looked down at the candle. "She dies instead of you."

"I know you can do this." Gold urged her. "I know you wanna do this."

"There's no coming back from murder." Snow said quietly.

"And there's no coming back from death either." Gold said, his tone rushed. "And that's what will happen to your loved ones."

Rebekah felt a chill run up her spine at the thought of losing her family. She watched as Snow stepped away from Gold. "Even if I were to do this...the candle only works if you whisper the victim's name over them." Would Snow actually go through with this? She didn't have a speck of darkness in her soul – but Rebekah? She was born from the magic of the two most evil creatures in all the realms...surely, she could do it.

"The heart will do." Gold told them both causing Rebekah to pause.

"Cora's heart," Snow said, saying what Rebekah was thinking. "It's not in her body."

That...explained a lot. She opened her mouth to ask Gold more, but he stopped her. "Use the candle, curse the heart – and then," he struggled as he tried to speak, "here comes the tricky part."

"—That's not the tricky part?" Snow said in disbelief.

"You have to put the heart back inside Cora's body." Gold told them. "She will die...and I will live..."

Snow began to smile. "There's another way," she realized. "I get Cora's heart; I control her and make her do the right thing and I let you die...takes care of two evils at once."

Rebekah swallowed hard, hearing the darkness in her friends' tone. "Snow," she said softly. Why talk her out of it? Why save Rumpelstiltskin? He may technically be Rebekah's father but...no, he wasn't. She bit down on her lower lip, unsure of the right thing to do.

Gold started to laugh. "I'm just imagining poor Henry's face when he finds out the both of you," he looked to Snow and Rebekah, "killed his grandpa." He then looked to Rebekah. "Grace's too, if we're getting technical, dearest daughter."

Rebekah glared at him. "You're not my father."

"But I created you." He reminded her. "You came from my magic. I wonder what would happen if both mine and Cora's magic...disappeared from the world. What would happen to you? To Grace...to your unborn son?"

Rebekah moved her hand protectively over her bump. Before she could open her mouth to threaten him, Emma walked into the room.

"I drew the invisible line," she told them. "I think," Emma added. "What now?" She looked to Gold. "You cast a protection spell?"

"No, no." Gold smiled. "You and Rebekah are going to do that for me," he told Emma. "I'm relying on you." He looked to Snow for a long moment before looking to Rebekah. "The both of you."

Emma scoffed. "I can't cast a spell." She reminded Gold. "I can spell 'spell'–"

"You can." Gold said, lying down. "It's in you."

"How?" Emma asked. "Here? Like, from my brain?"

Gold groaned. "Rebekah, help her."

Rebekah sighed, seeing that Snow was no longer in the room. She looked to Emma, watching as the blonde woman sighed deeply before closing her eyes. "Concentrate," Rebekah told Emma. But nothing came.

"Stop thinking!" Gold shouted at Emma causing them both to jump. "Conjuring magic is not an intellectual endeavor." He spat out. "It's emotion."

"You," Rebekah glared at Gold, "shut up and let me help her." Gold glared back but laid down. Rebekah turned her attention back to Emma. "Think about why you're doing this – who you're doing it for – who am I protecting? Use that...feel your desperation." Your madness, a voice told Rebekah. Whenever she used her magic; she felt the madness building up in her from her time spent with Regina in the tower. She used that madness to control her powers, letting them feed off of it. Perhaps it wasn't madness for Emma; maybe it was just love?

Emma nodded, reaching for Rebekah's hand. Together, they closed their eyes and concentrated on what needed to be done. A low rumble filled the room and Rebekah could feel the magic spreading.

"You feel it?" Gold asked.

Emma squeezed Rebekah's hand. "Yeah," she said. Rebekah opened her eyes, looking to Emma. "Do you feel it too?"

Rebekah smiled, nodding. "I do."

"Good girl," Gold told Emma before looking at Rebekah. "And a very good teacher."

Jefferson entered the room, looking directly at Rebekah as he did so. She smiled softly, sensing his worry. "You good?" She asked him when he walked up to where she stood, Emma going off in the opposite direction. He nodded, swallowing hard and Rebekah knew that was a lie. "You can be honest, you know?" She told him, grabbing his hand.

Jefferson frowned, taking the scarf off around his neck and scratching at it. "I swear," he said in a huff, "ever since I found out Cora was back....my neck burns the way it did when I was beheaded."

She frowned. Of course she didn't forget about Jefferson's past with Cora. He lost his head because Regina had tricked him into believing that by helping her; she'd let Rebekah go and he could have his family again – and then left him in Wonderland to feel Cora's wrath. The Mills women had not been kind to Jefferson. Except for Rebekah. But she didn't consider herself a Mills any longer. No, she was Jefferson's wife – not Cora's daughter, not Regina's sister. She was the mother to Grace and in a couple of months; William – not the Dark One's daughter.

Rebekah moved forward, pressing a soft kiss to the scar on Jefferson's neck. "I won't let her anywhere near you." She promised him after pulling back to look him in the eyes.

Jefferson moved his hand to rest on Rebekah's growing belly. "We can still run." He told her. "Grab Grace and just...leave."

"If Cora and Regina aren't defeated...there's nowhere we can run that we'll be safe." Rebekah had to remind Jefferson. "Even if we got the hat working." She bit down on her lip, debating on whether or not to tell Jefferson about the candle. He'd try and talk her out of it; not wanting blood to be on her hands – but that left the blood on Snow's hands and she shouldn't have to carry that burden.

Jefferson moved forward, pulling Rebekah closer to him. "What aren't you telling me?" He asked.

She closed her eyes, opening her mouth to tell him but the two nearly lost their balance when the floor beneath them began to rumble and the walls surrounding them shook.

"It's them!" David came running in, alerting the group. "Regina and Cora." He said, handing a sword to Emma. "They're here."

Rebekah felt sick to her stomach as they hurried to the front of the store. Jefferson held a blade in his hand, the other hand wrapped protectively around Rebekah's. The door swung open, Cora and Regina's magic able to break through Emma and Rebekah's and the two women walked into the pawn shop, ready for a fight.

"Regina," Emma tried to reason. "Think about what you're doing."

"Don't talk to me." Regina glared at Emma.

Fire appeared in Regina's hands, forming into a ball. She threw it at Emma only to have David block it with his sword; the man protecting his daughter. Rebekah looked to where David had been standing and saw that Snow was no longer in the room. "Shit." She muttered under her breath. Rebekah pulled Jefferson away from the chaos.

"Go after Snow," she told him, ushering him to the back door.

With wide, confused eyes, Jefferson shook his head. "I'm not leaving you."

"Snow is about to do something she's going to regret – you need to stop her."

He shook his head, not understanding. "Come with me." Jefferson urged her.

She shook her head, listening to the noise of the battle going on in the other room. "Have Gold tell you where Cora's heart is – get to it before Snow can."

"Her heart—"

Rebekah pressed her lips to his, kissing him fiercely as she cut him off from saying anything else. "I love you. Please, do this for me." She said before pulling away from him and running back into the room.

He didn't follow.

Rebekah came back just in time to see Regina being held at knifepoint by Emma, Neal standing in front of the dagger and Cora looked conflicted as she decided between taking the dagger or helping Regina.

"What's it going to be, Mother?" Rebekah asked, moving to stand next to Neal, who held out his arm in front of her in a form of protection as Regina cried out for Cora.

"Choose wisely." Neal taunted Cora.

Cora glared at Rebekah before raising her hand and summoning the dagger. Rebekah used her magic to throw Cora across the room, the dagger dropping from her hand as Emma tossed Regina into the counter.

"Fall back with Gold! I have the chalk!" Emma told both Neal and Rebekah.

Neal grabbed Rebekah's hand, pulling her to the back room as Emma followed after them, drawing a quick line with the chalk to create a magical barrier. It would take a while for Cora and Regina to get past this one – and they were going to need it.

X

Regina's vault. That's where Cora kept her heart hidden. Jefferson was tempted to simply crush it in his hand as he held it, staring at the heart of the woman who had tortured him. He couldn't help himself. Jefferson squeezed the heart lightly.

"Stop." Snow told him, lighting each wick of the candle and holding it over Cora's heart. "She'll know we're here if you keep doing that."

Rebekah wanted Jefferson to stop Snow. But after finding out what she was about to do...how could he? They would finally be safe from that monster – they'd get their happily ever after. "Are you sure you can do this?" He asked.

Snow nodded before she closed her eyes while the wax from the candle began to melt, dripping on Jefferson's shoe. She moved forward, whispering a name before blowing out each end of the candle. "We've got to go." She told Jefferson, taking the heart out of his hand and placing it back in the box.

He glared at the thing, wishing he'd crushed it when he had the chance. They didn't even know if what Gold said was true – it could all just be another trick. Snow seemed to believe him though, risking her good heart to do something so dark. Jefferson had pleaded with her to let him be the one to say the name but she wouldn't let him.

"Let me carry this burden," she told Jefferson.

They walked out of the room where they found the heart only to have Snow gasp when she saw Regina walking towards them, the woman stopping when she saw what Snow held in her hands.

"You," she glared at the two of them, "have no right to be here." Regina walked forward. "And you have no right to that!" She pointed at the wooden box carrying Cora's heart.

Jefferson moved to step in front of Snow but the woman stopped him, "I was going to give it to you," she told Regina, causing Jefferson to pause.

"What?" Regina said, just as confused as Jefferson.

"She can't love you, you know?" Snow told Regina. "She doesn't have her heart. With it...maybe she can?" She said, holding out the box for Regina to take. "That's why you never felt she loved you – why she was so cruel to both you and Rebekah. She doesn't have her heart." Snow smiled. "But I do."

"You're doing this for me?"

"For Rebekah." Jefferson said, going on with Snow's lie. "She's never felt a mother's love. She deserves that. You both do. Think about it, what would happen if Cora had her heart back? Back inside her?"

Regina glared at Jefferson. "She told me she took it out to protect herself."

"Did it work?" Jefferson asked. "The person she was before – do you think that person survived?"

"She can't love, Regina." Snow added. "She can't love her children."

Regina shook her head. "She always wanted the best for me." She told them. "That's love."

"Imagine real love," Snow said sadly. "You'd have a mother. And a start on making a family Henry could be a part of." Jefferson watched as Regina's eyes began to fill with tears; the choice clearly hard for her.

"Or, you can have her be the Dark One," he said in a flat tone, taking the box from Snow and holding it out for Regina. "The choice is yours."

Jefferson and Snow could only pray that Regina's desperation for her mother's love would outweigh her need for wanting revenge. If she did take the heart and put it back inside of Cora... the evil woman would die. Regina, of course, didn't know that. If she had, she'd hide away Cora's heart forever.

Regina needed to believe that this was her choice – that it wasn't a trick.

In the end, she took the box and left with Jefferson and Snow to get the heart to Cora. Jefferson didn't feel guilt for tricking Regina. She'd done much worse to him. He just hoped Rebekah would forgive his betrayal.

X

"It's getting weaker," Neal said as Cora continued to try and get past the magical barrier. He looked back at Rebekah and Emma, who stood in front of Gold. "She's going to get through."

"Maybe it's for the best," Gold said, inhaling deeply. "At least this cursed power will pass from this world."

"No," Neal said in frustration, surprising Rebekah. "No, you're not dying." He dropped his sword and walked over to where Gold was bed ridden.

"I am dying." Gold corrected him. "That much is certain." He sighed. "I need to talk to Belle." Gold said suddenly, breathing heavily. "Emma, please?"

Emma seemed to understand what he wanted, pulling out her phone and handing it to Gold.

"Who's Belle?" Neal asked.

Rebekah snorted, still in disbelief that anyone could ever love Rumpelstiltskin. But Belle had. She was his true love.

"Your Dad's girlfriend," Emma told Neal.

He looked just as surprised to find out that someone loved his father.

Neal looked to Rebekah, mouth screwing to the side and she knew he had questions he wanted her to answer. She sighed, walking away from him and instead, moving next to Emma.

"You should talk to him." Emma whispered to Rebekah.

"What's the point?" She said with a shrug, trying to act as though none of this was affecting her. "The one thing we share in common is about to die."

"You don't know that."

The three of them stood awkwardly as they listened to Gold's final words for Belle, all of them surprised by the depth of it, and just how much he loved the woman. Rebekah pitied the fact that Belle didn't remember who he was or the love they shared. That someday she might wake up and gain her memories back only to remember that conversation she had with a dying man who spoke so beautifully to her while taking some of his final breaths.

It caused her heart to ache.

Neal cleared his throat. "I uh, I didn't know you had that in you." He commented.

"Oh, I'm full of love," Gold said. Rebekah looked over her shoulder at Neal who huffed out while rolling his eyes, not believing his father's words. "I spent a lifetime looking for you...for a chance to say...I love you." He breathed out, causing Neal to turn and look back at his father. "And that I'm sorry."

Neal shook his head, sniffling slightly, clearly affected by his father's words. That caused Rebekah to frown, knowing that the man was hurting made her sad – even if he was a stranger. Even if all they shared in common was a dying man.

But that wasn't true.

They had Emma and Henry in common too.

It wasn't just Gold DNA or magic they shared – it truly was family.

"I didn't think you would go back on our deal," Neal said.

"I just made the wrong choice," Gold whispered. "May I?" He held out his hand, wanting to hold Neal.

"I'm still angry," Neal said, voice breaking.

"I know," Gold said softly.

After a quiet moment, Neal took Gold's hand, holding it tightly as he hid his face against their clasped hands and cried.

Rebekah felt the urge to go to Neal, to show him some comfort. She looked to Emma, who seemed to feel the same way. Rebekah knew it was harder for Emma though, so instead, she walked over to Neal and placed a hand on his back, rubbing it slightly.

"Rebekah," Gold breathed out. "I'm sorry for the part I played in all the pain you have suffered."

Before she could say anything to him, the barrier fell and Cora walked into the room. Neal quickly stood up, moving to stand in front of Rebekah and Emma.

"You two," Cora glared. "Out of the way." She raised her hand and suddenly Emma and Neal were no longer standing in front of Gold. All that was left was Rebekah.

Rebekah held up her hand, ready to use magic against Cora.

"It's poetic that you're at your fathers' side in the end." Cora smiled, slowly walking forward. "Or...your creator." She glared. "Because he isn't really your father...just as I am not really your mother. You're nothing – born from magic, not love, not even lust. A trick. I tried to end your life many times but somehow I never could." Cora admitted. "I think it had to do with his magic." She then smiled. "But now that it's dying...I believe I can truly get rid of you for good."

"I don't believe you," Rebekah said, her hand shaking as she continued to hold it up.

"Let's just wait and see." Cora smirked.

Rebekah felt tears fill her eyes. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?" She asked. "For you to hate me so much...his trickery got the best of you and you can't stand that."

"Shut your mouth, child."

"To have your pride wounded so badly...seeing my face every day must have been a painful reminder of that." She said, tears threatening to spill. "All I ever wanted was to be loved and you couldn't do that – no, you wouldn't. Because I'm proof that someone bested you and you hate that."

Cora glared at Rebekah. "You are nothing. You will always be nothing. I'm doing you a mercy by killing you." She said, angry tears in her eyes. Rebekah let her own tears fall, closing her eyes and waiting for the inevitable. I love you, she whispered, sending her words to Jefferson and Grace. She clutched her belly, wishing she was strong enough to protect her son.

"No!" Gold shouted. "Enough!"

Rebekah opened her eyes and watched as Cora looked to him, distracted. "A vision told me about you...told me this day would come." He said weakly. "But it didn't tell me everything – didn't tell me what I really wanted to know."

"And what's that?" Cora asked him.

"Did you ever love me?"

"Why do you think I had to rip my own heart out?" Cora said back. "You were my weakness." She admitted. "You were the only man I ever truly loved." Rebekah felt herself being pulled forward by Cora's magic. She let out a gasp when she felt the woman thrust her hand into her chest and yank out her heart.

"No!" Gold shouted.

"You betrayed me," Cora said to him as she began to squeeze Rebekah's heart.

But before she could turn it to ash, Cora gasped, dropping Rebekah's heart. Rebekah watched with blurred vision as it slowly fell from Cora's hand into another before it hit the floor. She blinked, seeing Jefferson on his knees as he held her heart in his hands. He scrambled to her, pulling her away from Cora.

Regina was with them. "Mother," she said happily.

Rebekah was confused, unsure of what was happening. There was laughing – Cora was laughing genuinely and then she fell to the floor.

"Mother!" Regina cried out.

"Jefferson," she called out for her husband.

Jefferson moved to hold onto Rebekah.

"Place it back in," Gold said causing Rebekah to look up at him and see that he was healed. She blinked in confusion, not knowing how that was possible.

"Will it hurt her?"

"Not anymore than it did when it was yanked out." Gold said.

She gasped at the feeling of her heart being put back in her body and the warmth of Jefferson's hand moving from her heart to her face. Rebekah sat up a bit, wincing as he pulled her to his body. "I love you so much," he whispered as he held her.

She rested her head against his shoulder and watched Regina hold their mother as she took her final breaths saying to Regina, "This...would have been enough. You...you would have been enough," before she died.

"What's going on?" Regina sobbed.

Jefferson held Rebekah tightly while whispering to her. "I had to do it."

"Mother!" Regina cried. "Don't leave me! Please!"

"Your mother did you no favors," Gold said, standing in front of Jefferson and Rebekah.

"Shut up!" Regina seethed. "You stole her life!" She sobbed. "You cast some spell!"

"I did nothing," Gold said.

Snow came running into the room, shouting for Regina. "Stop!" She yelled as she entered the room only to freeze when she saw Regina cradling her mother's lifeless body.

"You did this." Regina glared at Snow, putting the pieces together. She then looked to Jefferson. "You'll pay." She said before she vanished with Cora's body.

Dammit.

They got rid of Cora but now they had to deal with Regina's wrath.

Rebekah hugged Jefferson tightly, fearing for his life.

I'll protect him no matter what cost, Rebekah swore to herself.