Mary Margaret hires Mr. Gold as her attorney when she is arrested for the suspected murder of Kathryn, and Emma and Newt hope to prove her innocence.

***

Ruby slowly came to in the morning and winced when she got sunlight in her face, and she groaned, turning her head and burying her nose in the pillow under her head. "What time is it?" she grumbled.

"The sun hasn't been up very long," an accented voice answered. "But it's been long enough."

The voice pierced through any fogginess that lingered in Ruby's head from the night before, and she scrambled to sit up on the pile of blankets Newt had left for them. "Remus!" she gasped in relief.

The wizard stood leaning against one of the trees nearby, exhaustion etched in the lines of his face and evident in the shadows under his eyes. Still, his smile was genuine as Ruby's excitement woke Victor from slumber. "You stayed the entire night," he said.

Ruby swallowed hard. "You remember?"

"I took the Wolfsbane Potion diligently," Remus nodded, pushing off the tree and approaching his friends. He winced as he joined them on the blankets, and he held up his hand when Victor straightened in concern. "It's normal after the full moon. It'll pass."

Victor scowled. "That doesn't mean I have to like you hurting."

"I suppose not," Remus conceded with a sigh. "But it's just another part of my condition that I've grown used to." He watched Ruby and Victor's faces darken and shook his head with a chuckle. "You still aren't running."

"Running?" Ruby repeated, her voice rising in pitch. "You seriously think we would run on you? I thought you were smart, Remus!"

"I'm a werewolf, Ruby," Remus reminded her.

Ruby scoffed. "Yes, I didn't forget you curling up on my legs last night and purring."

Victor bit his lip to keep from smirking as Remus's cheeks flushed. Score for Ruby. "Remus, we didn't run last night when we practically bullied Newt and Lucius into bringing us here," he said. "We're sure as hell not going to run now. Why would we?"

"Besides, Newt made it clear he would've intervened if anything happened," Ruby added, folding her arms and leveling an unimpressed look at Remus. "Face it. You're stuck with us, you dumbass."

Remus gave them an inscrutable look, then he finally chuckled. "I suppose there are worse people to be stuck with."

Victor snorted. "Our lovely mayor and the town pawnbroker, for example."

Remus wrinkled his nose. "Let's not go there."

"Speaking of others, though," Ruby frowned, twisting to look around the clearing. "Where is Newt?"

"Ah," Remus winced. "About that . . . "

***

Mary Margaret flinched as the camera flashed in front of her, and Emma smiled apologetically. "Please turn to the right."

Mary Margaret did so then threw her arms up in frustration after the picture was taken. "Emma, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Kathryn!"

"Of course, you didn't," Emma agreed. "But while I am your friend, I am also the sheriff, and I have to go where the evidence leads."

Mary Margaret sighed helplessly. "Which points to me? Emma, yesterday, it was David. There's something not right here!"

"I know," Emma nodded, her frustration mirroring Mary Margaret's. "But your fingerprints were on that box, and his are not. And so now we have to deal with . . . " She stared at the headshots in her hand and waved them helplessly. "This."

"Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn's heart and buried it in the woods." Mary Margaret shook her head with a bitter laugh. "This is insane."

Emma completely agreed, but she turned to Mary Margaret with a sigh. "If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's gonna look like favoritism. And then Regina will have cause and she will fire me, and then you know what she'll do? She'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So please, just try to be patient and trust me. We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn, and I am still waiting for the DNA test results." Mary Margaret nodded in understanding, and Emma took a deep breath. "But in the meantime, you need to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions."

Mary Margaret sighed but nodded. "This is crazy," she muttered, walking towards the offices. "I would never hurt anyone."

Emma groaned in frustration, leaning against the desk behind her and staring up at the ceiling. According to David, the only time Snow White had ever acted in such a manner was when she had taken Rumplestiltskin's potion to take away her ability to love. That obviously had been fixed . . . but now she had the hard task of proving her mother was innocent.

"Emma?"

Emma yelped and jumped off the desk, spinning around to find her brother looking at her in concern. "Newt!" she huffed, hitting him in the chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

He smirked in amusement but sobered as he noticed Mary Margaret in the chair next to Emma's booking unit. "She didn't actually do it, did she?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Emma shook her head. "But from what Dad has told me, she can be very violent when she wants to be, though the only time she acted heartless was due to Rumplestiltskin." Newt made a face at the name, and Emma nodded in agreement. "I don't want to have to book her, but I don't have a choice if I want to keep my job."

Newt nodded in understanding, "Need some help in the interrogation room?"

Emma shrugged. "Might be useful. Regina is joining us though, unfortunately. She wants to make sure I'm not playing favorites." Newt scoffed his opinion of that which had Emma nodding in agreement. "My head would be so much clearer if I could go flying with Achilles right now," she muttered, moving to gather what she needed.

"Want me to see if Achilles will go into my case for a bit?" Newt offered. "So you can see him?"

Emma smiled for the first time since the previous night and nodded. "If it's to see me, I think he will." She beckoned for him to follow her and walked over to Mary Margaret. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Mary Margaret scoffed but stood up. "I can't believe this. Emma, you know someone's trying to frame me!"

Emma shared a look with Newt, who winced, then held open the door to the interrogation room. Mary Margaret took one step through the door then froze when she saw who was already sitting at the table. "Hello, Miss Blachard," Regina said with a saccharine smile.

"What is she doing here?" Mary Margaret asked, looking at Emma in suspicion.

"She asked to be here as a third party to make sure that I stay impartial," Emma answered. "It can only help you."

Mary Margaret shrugged and took the single seat opposite Regina. "I have nothing to hide," she said. "Ask me anything."

As Newt leaned against the wall behind them, Emma sat next to Regina and switched on the tape recorder on the table. "The heart was found buried near the old toll bridge," she began. "It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "Yes, many times. It's where David and I like to meet."

"Mr. Nolan?" Emma asked for clarification.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes but nodded. "Yes."

"And you met there for what purpose?" Emma raised her eyebrow, resisting the urge to shiver and distracting herself by nodding to Newt. She knew exactly why the pair had been at the bridge.

Mary Margaret sighed. "We were having an affair, even though he's getting divorced from her," she replied. Regina narrowed her eyes, but Mary Margaret met her dark gaze without flinching. "I'm not proud of what happened, but I love David. That doesn't change the fact that I did not kill Kathryn."

Newt opened one of the cabinets behind Mary Margaret and pulled out an evidence bag. "Have you ever seen this before?" he asked, removing the wooden container inside and placing it on the table.

Mary Margaret blinked when she saw it. "Yes, it's my jewelry box."

Emma braced herself. "That's what we found the heart in."

Regina's eyes flashed victoriously, and Mary Margaret looked desperately from Emma to Newt. He nodded somberly in confirmation, and Mary Margaret gulped. "Don't you see what's happening here?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn't have anything to do with it. I'm innocent!"

"Miss Blanchard, it's okay," Regina said, reaching across the table to take her hands. Newt's eyebrows rose, but when he looked at Emma, she shrugged, looking just as confused as him. "I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. To be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place, changed me. I can only imagine what you were feeling in that moment."

Mary Margaret yanked her hand away from Regina. "But I haven't changed," she declared. "I'm still the same person I've always been - a good person. I did not do this."

Regina scoffed in clear disbelief, and Emma cleared her throat sharply. "Can I speak to you in the hallway, please?" she asked. Regina gracefully stood and exited the room, and when Newt raised an eyebrow, Emma nodded for him to join. Once they had left the room, Emma shut the door and turned to Regina. "I told you to leave the questioning to me."

"How do you know she didn't do it?" Regina asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "If that box was stolen from her as she claims, don't you think there'd be signs of a break-in? Your deputy left his wife for her, so I assume that's where he's been staying. Tell me, has he reported a break-in?" Emma didn't answer, and Regina smirked. "She is a woman who's had her heart broken by everyone. And that . . . that can make you do unspeakable things."

She turned on her heel and walked to the exit of the station, and Emma sighed, turning to Newt. "What do you think?"

Newt sighed and scratched the back of his head. "The evidence certainly doesn't look good," he admitted. "But if we're taught anything in school, and if there's anything I've learned over the last eighty years, it's that there's always two sides to a story."

Emma nodded, relieved by Newt's support, and looked back into the interrogation room to see Mary Margaret with her hands clasped and tucked under her chin, her eyes glassy with tears.

***

Emma sighed, absently tossing Mary Margaret's key up and down in her hand as she walked up to the teacher's loft. "When this is done, I'm gonna need to spend an entire day on Achilles with my head in the clouds," she muttered as she opened the door. "Literally."

"Considering all you've gone through since you crossed the town border?" Newt snorted, checking the windows to see if there were any that had been opened recently. "You deserve it."

"Emma?" a faint voice called, making Newt turn in surprise. "Are you here?"

Emma spun in time to see Henry poke this head through the doorway. "Henry?" she asked, tucking her key away. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at home?"

"We have to help Miss Blanchard," Henry answered as if the answer was obvious.

"We are helping her," Emma promised with a point to Newt, who waved from where he was on the other side of the loft. "That's why we're searching the apartment. But you've got to go home."

Henry shook his head stubbornly. "Not going to happen."

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. Of course, it was just her luck that her son could stand his ground just like her. "Just stay out of the way."

Henry grinned and nodded, dropping his backpack on the couch. "So, what are we looking for?" he asked, hurrying after Emma.

"We're trying to see if maybe someone broke in," Newt replied, stepping into Mary Margaret's bedroom and examining the window behind the bed. "Busted door locks, broken glass, muddy footprints. That kind of thing."

Henry hummed, looking around the bed for muddy prints. "So, you think someone's setting her up?"

Emma shrugged. "It's the only thing that makes sense. The only problem is, nobody's got a motive."

Henry looked up at her from his examination of the rug. "My mom does."

"Regina?" Newt asked.

Henry nodded. "She hates Snow White." Emma and Newt stared at him, and he shrugged. "Hey, you wanted a motive."

Emma conceded his point with a sigh. "Well, I don't think 'she hates Snow White' will hold up in court, Henry."

"No," Newt shook his head, picking up a picture frame from the dresser and smiling at it. "I don't think it will, either."

Emma peered at the picture, smiling at the image of Mary Margaret in the middle of a party with her students. That was where she deserved to be, not rotting in some cell while she and Newt worked to prove her innocence. She sighed and flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "This is when I wish Storybrooke was part of the Wizarding World," she muttered. "Can you imagine how much easier this would be to solve if we could use our magic?"

Newt snorted and put back the frame. "And you think magic automatically makes solving crimes easier? Theseus wouldn't have a job if that was the case. Magic could just as easily cover up clues. It could make solving a crime harder."

Henry blinked. "I never thought about it like that."

"Magic," Emma muttered with an incredulous laugh. "God, what is my life?"

"This is why you have me and Queenie," Newt reminded her.

"And I'm thankful every day that Dumbledore tried to kidnap Harry in the middle of her bakery."

Henry balked. "He what?"

Emma opened her mouth to answer, but a metal rattling made her shut her mouth and quickly sit up. Newt and Henry quieted as well, and Emma looked down at the ground, finding rusted metal peeking out from under the rug. She pulled away the rug, and her eyes brightened when she found the heating vent under the rug. "Gotcha."

Henry walked a bit closer, watching as Emma removed the vent cover and reached inside. "Did you find something?"

Emma nodded, and Newt extended his hand to help her up. Emma grasped his hand and let him haul her up, and she held up her other hand, a cloth-wrapped object clutched in it. She carefully unwrapped the cloth, and steel shone in the sunlight from the window.

Henry's eyes widened as he took in the wickedly sharp hunting knife Emma had found. "Uh oh."

Emma nodded in agreement, looking at Newt in horror. If she tested this, would it have Kathryn and Mary Margaret's DNA on it?

***

"So," Draco frowned, resting his forearms on the tabletop, "let me get this straight."

"Shh!" Hermione jabbed him in the ribs.

Draco obediently clicked his mouth shut as Ruby delivered four hot chocolates to their table, sprinkling a generous helping of cinnamon on top of Henry and Harry's. "Thanks, Ruby," Henry said glumly.

"And thanks for looking after Uncle Remus," Harry made sure to add.

"I'm just glad he's doing better," Ruby smiled. "Enjoy."

Harry sighed and used his finger to swipe a dollop of cinnamon-dusted whipped cream off the top of his drink. "Not bloody likely at this rate," he muttered.

"So you already know Mary Margaret, who is actually Snow White, was with David, who is actually Prince Charming, when Kathryn, who is actually Princess Abigail, was killed," Draco said slowly, keeping his voice hushed. "But the jewelry box is Mary Margaret's and has her fingerprints on it, and a hunting knife was found in the vent under her bed. So the theory is that the Mayor, who is actually the Evil Queen, is the one who did this."

"Yep," Henry nodded glumly.

Draco huffed and picked up his mug. "Bloody hell, this all sounds ridiculous," he muttered.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And how ridiculous do you think I initially felt when I heard I was a witch?" she challenged.

Draco sighed. "Fair point, Hermione."

"I don't think that hot chocolate's gonna drink itself."

Draco choked on his drink, and Hermione swiveled to glare up at August. "What are you doing here?" she snapped.

August ignored her and instead focused on Henry and Harry. "You're upset about your teacher, aren't you?"

"She didn't do it," Henry sighed. "Why can't anyone see that?"

"Because most people just see what's right in front of them," August said with a shrug and pulled up a chair next to Henry; Hermione, who was opposite Henry, scooted her chair closer to Draco. "I don't think you're gonna find the answers you want at the bottom of your mugs."

"Then where?" Henry huffed, licking some of the whipped cream off the top of his drink.

August hummed thoughtfully then peered at the bag propped up against Henry's chair. "That a book in your bag?" Henry quickly glanced down at it and pressed his lips tightly together. "You know I'm a writer, so I'm partial to finding my answers in a literary form."

Draco frowned, his own suspicion piqued as he looked over his mug at August. "It's just a book."

"Is it?" Now all four kids were looking at him in suspicion, and August chuckled. "I think we all know that that's not the case." Henry's eyes widened in shock, and August waved to get Ruby's attention. "Can I have a water, please?" he asked.

"What do you know about it?" Henry demanded.

August smiled as Ruby placed a full glass in front of him. "I know it's a book of stories."

"Aren't all books?" Draco pointed out.

"Stories that really happened," August added.

Harry's jaw dropped. "You think my book is real?" Henry asked, eyes bright.

August nodded, no hint of jesting on his face. "As real as I am."

"How?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes. "How do you know?"

August hummed and picked up his drink. "Let's just say that . . . I'm a believer." He took a sip of his drink then swirled the water around. "And I wanna help others see the light. That, my friends, is why I'm here."

"But we already believe," Hermione told him.

August chuckled. "Oh, I'm not here for you, princess. I'm here for Emma."

Henry blinked and looked at Harry, then he started to open his mouth. Harry quickly jabbed his brother in the ribs, and while Henry squeaked and rubbed his side, Harry folded his arms. "Then why don't you just tell her?" he asked.

"Well," August leaned forward, "there are some people - like all of us here - we can go on faith. But others - like Emma - they need proof."

Harry nodded, remembering Emma's attitude when they had first learned about magic and when they had arrived in Storybrooke. She had needed to see to believe both times, first on Newt's reserve, second when David regained his memories. But what was August's plan? "When Henry and I tried to find proof, we got trapped in a sinkhole," he informed the man.

August just chuckled and toed Henry's backpack. "There are less dangerous places to look."

The four children exchanged looks, then Henry dove for his backpack and pulled out his storybook. August smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then he stood and left the table. "You didn't tell him Emma already believes," Henry said as he started flipping through the book's pages.

"Why does he want Mum to believe?" Harry asked, watching over Henry's shoulder as picture after picture blurred by. "What's his motive? Does he want to use her for something, or is he actually a good guy?"

"David is a good guy," Hermione pointed out. "He's a hero."

"And what if August is a villain?" Draco countered. "According to Emma, Regina and Gold both have their memories, and they're clearly villains. They're not up to any good. Not like Uncle Moony's kind of 'no good,' at least."

"Exactly," Harry nodded.

"So we wait and see why August wants Emma to remember," Hermione decided. "OK. We can do that."

"Wait!" Harry reached out to stop Henry from flipping. "What about that?"

Henry paused, and his eyes brightened when he saw the picture of the Evil Queen entering her vault. "Skeleton keys!" he breathed, turning the book so Draco and Hermione could see. "They can open any door!"

"She has her vault of hearts here," Harry nodded. "Maybe she has skeleton keys here, too!"

"And if the keys match the doors around Storybrooke, she could have used them to plant evidence against Mary Margaret!" Hermione beamed.

"We just need to find them," Draco sighed.

"I don't think she would keep them at home," Henry shook his head. "They must be somewhere in Town Hall, probably her office."

"Great," Draco huffed. "That narrows it down."

"It may, actually," Harry said slowly, a grin on his face. "I have an idea."

***

David stared long and hard at the mayor's office door, biting into his lip so hard he could taste blood. "You don't have to do this, David," Queenie said quietly.

"I know," David said tightly. "But she doesn't know I remember. So maybe if I can make her slip up while she thinks I wouldn't put together pieces . . . " He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I have to try."

"OK," Queenie nodded. "I'll be right here."

"God, help me," David muttered, then he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. He opened it and peeked inside Regina's office to see the woman seated at her desk and skinning an apple with a knife. "Hey," he greeted, trying not to let his vitriol for the woman seep into his voice. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Regina nodded, gesturing for him to enter.

If David didn't have his memories back, he would've believed she was genuinely welcoming to him. "These accusations against Mary Margaret, they've been gnawing away at me," he said, closing the door behind him. "She didn't do this."

Regina pursed her lips, then she pulled out the chair opposite her for him to sit. "I understand what you're going through," she said. "It's painful when someone we care about betrays us."

"She's a good person," David argued. "I know her."

"Maybe you don't," Regina countered. "Maybe you just want to. Everyone has a dark side, David."

"Yeah, sure," David nodded, knowing fully well that was quite literal in Remus's case. Werewolves were considered a dark creature in the Wizarding World, after all. "But having a dark side and doing something so evil . . . that's a different thing. That's not what she is."

"Perhaps." Regina didn't sound happy. "I always believe that evil isn't born. It's made."

"Then you don't know a damn thing about Mary Margaret," David told her, his voice like iron. "Because this kind of evil is not something she could or would do."

Rage flashed in Regina's eyes, and David felt a thrill of accomplishment. Gotcha, Your Majesty. "Well, if she didn't do it, then who did?" she challenged.

"That's what I want to find out," David replied as he stood. "But for someone to kill Kathryn, then take her heart, then blame it on the one person who doesn't deserve it? It makes me wonder if that person has no heart at all. That person, without a doubt in my mind, is evil."

Regina rocketed to her feet, her lips pressed tightly together. David bit his tongue to keep from smirking. Did I hit a nerve, Your Majesty? "You're very sweet, David," she bit out. "But you're also wrong. Evil doesn't always look evil. Sometimes, it's staring right at us . . . and we don't even realize it."

"Then I'll keep staring until I win that little contest," David declared, walking back to the door. "Because whoever is setting up the woman I love is going to pay." He opened the door and exited before he said something he would regret, and as he closed the door behind him, he caught the squelching sound of a knife driving into fruit. He blinked then gave Queenie an innocent smile. "I think that went well," he said cheerfully, playfully holding out his arm for the blonde witch. "Don't you?"

Queenie giggled and curled her hand around his elbow. "Extremely well, my prince."

***

Emma stopped in front of Mary Margaret's cell with a sigh and placed the unwrapped hunting knife down on the desk in front of her. "This was in the heating vent in your apartment."

Mary Margaret stared blankly at the knife in shock. "The heating vent?" she repeated. "Emma, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is!"

"Unfortunately, someone did," Newt said, leaning against the desk with his arms folded. "And they put a hunting knife in there. We checked for signs of a break in, but there weren't any."

Mary Margaret's face fell. "You don't believe me," she whispered brokenly.

"Of course, we do," Emma assured her. "But what we think doesn't matter. Evidence is piling up by the hour."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes and nodded, swallowing hard. "OK," she whispered. "What are you saying?"

Emma and Newt exchanged resigned looks. "We're saying you should think about hiring a lawyer," Newt finally answered. "A good one. Nary Margaret, we know you didn't do this, but someone is making the whole town think it was. And right now, their plan is working. The only way to derail that plan is to stop them in their tracks."

"An excellent plan, Mr. Scamander."

Emma spun around at the accented voice, her arm itching to grab her wand. She hated when people snuck up on her. Harry had a bad habit of sneaking up on her a lot, albeit by accident, but regardless, she hated it all the same. It didn't help that the person who accomplished the sneaking was someone she didn't want to see. "Mr. Gold," she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. Gold walked to them, his cane clicking with every step. Absently, Emma wondered what happened to make him need a cane all the time. "Offering my legal services," he replied with a pleasant smile.

Newt raised an eyebrow. "You're a lawyer?" he asked dubiously.

Mr. Gold nodded, a smirk pulling at his face. "Ever wondered why I'm so adept at contracts?" he asked. "I've been following the details of your case, Miss Blanchard, and I think you'd be well advised to bring me on as your counsel."

Mary Margaret crossed her arms petulantly. "And why is that?"

Mr. Gold had a cunning smile on his face that unnerved Emma and Newt. It reminded them of a dragon stalking prey, and they had seen plenty of dragons do just that on the reserve. "Well, because the sheriff had me arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I managed to persuade the judge to drop the charges," he replied.

Emma scoffed derisively. "Asserting your influence isn't what's needed here. We need to find the truth."

Mr. Gold clicked his tongue in disagreement. "Asserting influence may be exactly what's needed here."

"What's needed here is for me to do my job," Emma argued, Newt nodding in agreement from behind her.

Mr. Gold shrugged. "Well, no one's stopping you. I'm only here to help."

"Enough," Mary Margaret sighed and rubbed her temples. "Please go."

Emma smirked at Mr. Gold and pointed towards the door. "You heard her."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "No, I was talking to you two." Emma did a double take and whipped around to look at Mary Margaret in shock. "Oh, Emma, he's right," she said miserably. "I need help, and you need to do your job, or else I'm screwed. So just . . . please do your job the best you can, and I know with Newt's assistance, you'll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help."

Mr. Gold smiled his bestial smile again, looking pleased as punch as he walked to the cell. "Trust me, this is in Miss Blanchard's best interests."

Emma sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Good luck, Mary Margaret," she said, squeezing the teacher's hand. As she stepped away, she narrowed her eyes at Mr. Gold. "I hope your best interests are what he's looking out for." She took her jacket from the rack and headed for the station exit. "Let's get to work, Newt."

Newt was silent as he followed, but he paused before he followed Emma out the door. He lingered in the hallway and pulled out his wand, casting a Disillusionment Charm over himself in case Mr. Gold decided to check before he talked. When no footsteps or cane taps approached, he peered around the corner.

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Mary Margaret slumped, looking exhausted. "I can't pay you, Gold," she whispered.

Mr. Gold shook his head. "I didn't ask for money."

"Then why are you doing this?" Mary Margaret demanded, her voice shrill with desperation.

Mr. Gold smirked, an ambitious glint in his eyes. "Let's just say . . . I'm invested in your future."

That was all Newt had to hear, and he quietly opened the door and followed Emma outside, canceling the Disillusionment Charm as he went.

***

A janitor wheeled his cart down the hall, absently whistling a tune as he went. Henry poked his head around the corner, checking for anyone else in the vicinity, then he hurried towards Regina's office. Grateful that Regina had given him a key if he wanted to complete his schoolwork at Town Hall instead of the mansion, he unlocked the door and held it wide open. He waited a few seconds, keeping an eye on the hallway, then he quickly shut the door. "So how long do you think we have?" he asked.

Harry and his two best friends suddenly became visible, and Hermione gathered the Invisibility Cloak under her arm. "How long do they need?" she asked.

"That depends on how focused they stay," Draco huffed, adjusting his grip on a squirming niffler.

"Right," Harry said as he crouched on the ground, holding Teenie so he looked the niffler in the eyes. "You remember what the keys in the picture looked like, don't you?" Beady, intelligent black eyes stared back into his, and Harry nodded seriously as if she had given him an answer. "Get to it. Bring the keys to us."

Teenie jumped to the ground and immediately scurried around, and Draco released Ted a few seconds later. "Merlin," Hermione breathed, kneeling on the ground and watching in wonder as the nifflers beelined in certain directions. "Look at them go!"

"Do you really think they'll find them?" Henry asked.

"They're smart enough to do it," Harry nodded. "The keys are shiny, and if they can open any door, they're valuable. Nifflers like shiny and valuable things." He paused and looked at Henry. "Does your mum keep any jewelry here?"

Henry frowned thoughtfully. "Um . . . maybe?"

Harry sighed. "Brilliant."

Ted squeaked suddenly, and the four children looked up in time to see him open a filing cabinet drawer and topple inside. Teenie dove in after him a moment later. "I think they got them!" Draco grinned.

Harry scrambled to his feet and ran to the filing cabinet, peering inside. The nifflers chittered triumphantly, their paws clutching a keyring between them. "Fantastic!" he cheered, reaching inside to take the keyring. "Well done, you two!"

Draco and Hermione reached in to grab the nifflers, and Henry shuddered as he looked at the skulls and apples on the keys. "These are creepy."

"Yeah, they are," Harry frowned. "Let's just hope one of them opens Mary Margaret's apartment."

***

When Emma and Newt arrived at Mary Margaret's loft to check for more evidence surrounding the place, if there was any to be found, Henry was waiting for them on the staircase, a grin on his face. "I have proof!" he declared and held up the ring of several skeleton keys, all with different decorations on them. "This is how my mom got into Miss Blanchard's apartment. This is how she framed her."

Newt raised an eyebrow, eyeing the keys appraisingly. "Did you steal these from her office?"

Henry cleared his throat, looking sheepish as Emma took the keyring from him. "Well . . . not me, per se." When Emma and Newt gave him identical impatient looks, Henry fidgeted. "Harry, Draco, and Hermione helped. Harry set the nifflers on the office with specific instructions to find anything shiny and valuable and with the description of keys. And, well . . . here they are. The book said they could open any door."

Emma examined the keys, a dubious look on her face. "There's no way they'll even fit in the lock."

Henry's eyes pleaded with her. "We have to try."

Emma sighed and returned the keys to him. "If you really want to." Henry grinned and hurried to the door, sticking one of the keys into the lock. When the door didn't open, Henry simply moved to the next key. As key after key failed to fit the lock, Emma shrugged. "What did I tell you? Henry, I know you wanna think the answer to everything is in Operation Cobra, but . . . "

Henry huffed. "It is."

Newt snorted then coughed, and Emma shot him an exasperated look. "But sometimes the real world needs to come first," she said, holding up Mary Margaret's key.

"Just try one more," Henry begged. "Please! Uncle Newt?"

Newt sighed. "Well . . . most mysteries here have fit with Operation Cobra," he admitted. "One more, but then we do this Emma's way."

Henry nodded in agreement. "You do it," he told Emma, carefully picking a key from the ring, one with an apple-shaped top ornament. "This one."

Emma eyed the apple, frowning as she remembered Snow White's story. She had to admit Henry was smart. What other key than one with a poisoned apple ornament could be the one to fit in Mary Margaret's door? With that in mind, she slid the key into the lock and twisted.

The door creaked open without resistance, and Emma's jaw dropped. Henry grinned in delight and looked up at her, seeing her shock. "Do you believe me now?"

***

At the sheriff's station, David approached Mary Margaret's cell, a forlorn look holding his features captive. David sighed as soon as he saw her, the woman lying on the cot with her eyes on the ceiling. "Mary Margaret."

She instantly shot upright, a smile forming on her face when she saw him. "David!" she gasped, rushing for the door.

David joined her, taking both of her hands in his. "Emma said we could have a few minutes alone."

Mary Margaret smiled in relief, holding tightly to his hands. "I wish I could hug you," she whispered sadly.

"I know," David nodded, gently cupping her cheek. She nuzzled into his touch, and David swallowed hard, aching to take her into his arms. "Mary Margaret, we're going to figure this out, I promise you," he vowed fiercely. "We all know you're innocent. And I will prove it one way or another. I swear on everything I have that I will get you out of here."

Mary Margaret smiled softly, turning her head to kiss his palm. "What did I do to deserve you?" she asked in awe. "To deserve this loyalty to me?"

David sighed, bowing his head and closing his eyes. His loyalty to his brave princess was as strong as it was the day they married in the Enchanted Forest, and he would forever love her more than anything in this world aside from Emma. Snow White knew that . . . but Mary Margaret didn't, and while he longed to tell her, he knew he couldn't as long as her memories remained locked away somewhere Queenie didn't dare touch if it meant the risk of losing her forever. So he had to settle on telling her half of the truth. He cupped her face again, bringing his forehead to hers as close as they could get with the cell's bars between them. "You exist," he said, an answer that sounded so simple but carried a heavy burden.

Mary Margaret blinked then giggled and shook her head. "I exist?" she repeated.

David nodded firmly. "You are one of the only things I need in this world, and so I will find a way to prove you innocent. I know you didn't do this." She nodded, and he kissed her head softly through the bars before he walked away, towards the door that led back outside. "You will always be Snow White to me," he whispered almost silently and walked out of the door, taking a deep breath as he headed to his truck. He had to get her out of there. He had to figure out a way to prove her innocence, with or without his family's help.

***

A metallic clatter brought Mary Margaret's head out of the clouds as she finished making her bed in the cell. Curious, she crouched on the ground and looked under the bed, reaching as far as she could when she saw metal wink at her. When she brought her hand back, she found a worn key in her palm, the bow decorated with a skull-shaped ornament. Her eyes widened, and she slowly looked from the key to the door of her cell. Keeping her fingers mentally crossed, she carefully reached through the bars and felt for the lock. Once she found it, she timidly inserted the key and twisted. The lock clicked, and Mary Margaret's eyes widened in shock.

No way.

She pushed on the door just to make sure, and she gasped in surprise as the door swung open. Before she could decide on another course of action, footsteps approached, and she quickly closed the door, twisting the key to relock herself inside. She hid the key behind her back just in time for Emma and Newt to walk into the bullpen, the pair talking quietly under their breaths and Emma holding a bag and cup of coffee that looked to be from Granny's.

As Newt hopped onto one of the desks, Emma smiled and handed Mary Margaret the cup and bag. "Hey. Breakfast," she said.

Mary Margaret quickly nodded, hoping she wasn't acting suspicious as she muttered "Thanks" and headed to her bed.

Emma sighed at the cool tone and Newt sipped his coffee as she started talking. "I know Mr. Gold doesn't want us to talk, but I thought you should hear this from me." Mary Margaret looked up, curiosity piqued, and Emma swallowed. "The test results came back on the heart . . . and the DNA was a match for Kathryn. She is dead." Mary Margaret rapidly paled, and Emma nodded miserably. "I'm sorry - for a lot of things. But now that we have proof of the death, we have enough evidence to move forward with a case against you. It's going to happen." Mary Margaret stared forward, not saying a word, and Emma sat on the arm of the couch next to the cell, her grip on the cell bars tightening. "You know I do believe you, right?" she asked desperately.

Mary Margaret swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered.

Emma bit back a sigh of relief. "All this evidence tells me one thing for certain," she said. "That you are being framed. And I think Regina is behind it."

Then why am I still in here?" Mary Margaret asked, looking at Emma in desperation. "Why don't you confront her?"

Emma winced, remembering her early reaction to Henry. "Because belief is not proof."

"But, you just said - " Mary Margaret started.

"Mary Margaret, if Emma doesn't do this right, things will end up worse for you," Newt interrupted. "Every time we've gone up against Regina, we've gotten lucky in some cases, but other times she's seen it coming, and we've lost."

"So, what makes this time any different?"

Emma smirked. "Because she doesn't know I suspect anything."

Mary Margaret ran a hand through her hair and groaned in frustration. "Why would she do this to me?"

Emma and Newt exchanged looks, knowing the true reason would sound ludicrous. After all, Emma hadn't been kidding when she said "the Evil Queen hates Snow White" wasn't an argument that most courts would pursue. "I don't know," Emma finally said. "But we're going to find out. And I promise, I won't stop until I expose what she's up to."

"And how are you going to do that?" Mary Margaret asked. "This is her town."

Emma pressed her lips together tightly.. "We're working on it," she answered. "I have faith in you. And now, I need you to have faith in me." Mary Margaret looked down at her feet, a downtrodden expression on her face. It was so unlike her that Emma swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes. This was her mother, and seeing her like this threatened to crack open her heart. She couldn't stop the sniffle she made, and Mary Margaret's head shot up, her downtrodden expression melting into concern. "Can you do that?" she asked.

Mary Margaret managed to smile. "Of course," she nodded.

"Good," Emma sighed, and she quickly walked away, reaching up to rub at the tears that were brimming in her eyes.

Newt quickly gave Mary Margaret's hand a reassuring squeeze, then he hurried after Emma. Mary Margaret watched him whisper to Emma in the sheriff's office, then she looked down at the skeleton key in her hand, her mind racing.

***

Emma and Newt walked into Mr. Gold's shop, the bell ringing. When they didn't find the owner in the front, Emma led the way through the curtain to the back. They discovered Mr. Gold carefully handling an ornate lamp in his hands as he moved to his desk. "Mr. Gold," Emma said, walking with Newt over to him.

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow. "Just taking inventory," he said as he sat at his desk. "What can I do for you, Miss Swan, Mr. Scamander? Any developments in the case I should be aware of?"

Emma and Newt both nodded. "Yes," the latter told him. "Regina set her up."

Mr. Gold looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. "And this surprises you?" he asked. "Show me your evidence, and we'll get this over with immediately."

"Yeah, that's the thing," Emma huffed in frustration, bracing her hands on the desk. "There isn't any. Anything that's court-worthy. But I know it now."

Mr. Gold smiled wryly. "Look who's suddenly become a woman of faith." Emma scowled at him, and Mr. Gold folded his hands. "Why are you here, Miss Swan? To spin conspiracy theories?"

Newt shook his head. "We need help."

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow. "From me?" he asked with a short laugh. "Don't you have a big family that normally helps you with everything?"

Emma winced. "Every time I've gone up against Regina, I've lost. Except for once, when I became Sheriff. When you helped. My family isn't exactly familiar with this area." Not with this particular story, Emma thought, knowing Newt's mind was running a similar track behind her. This is the Enchanted Forest's story, not the Wizarding World's.

Mr. Gold crossed his arms, still holding the Genie's lamp in his hand. "As I recall, you don't exactly approve of my methods."

"I approve of your results," Emma countered. "And this time, I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend."

Mr. Gold hummed thoughtfully as he picked up a magnifying glass from his desk. "And you're willing to go as far as it takes?"

Emma's eyes hardened. "Farther."

Mr. Gold smirked, and Emma caught a glimpse of the imp her father had warned her about. "Now, we're talking," he chuckled. "Fear not, Miss Swan. Regina may be powerful, but something tells me you're more powerful than you know."

Emma and Newt shared a look, matching smirks on their faces.

Rumplestiltskin had no idea how right he was.

***

All the kudos go to Miss Singer for her hard work in getting the majority of this episode written out! Lots of canon changes, especially since there were tons of Enchanted Forest flashbacks here, but I'm proud of the results. And hey, the Golden Trio and the nifflers got some action!

Next episode is another one we've been extremely excited to reach, Miss Singer in particular. It's another one she'll take the lead on, and it's well deserved . . . because guess who finally makes his long-awaited arrival!

"Hat Trick" is next!

***

If there was an emoji that could accurately showcase my excitement, I would use it. But there's not. I cannot wait to introduce y'all to OUR version of Hat Trick!

As always, stay safe, stay sane, and stay cool! xx