Hat Trick

"Hat Trick" is the 17th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
While searching for a missing Mary Margaret, Emma is kidnapped by a man whose affinity for hats has him teetering on the edge of madness. Meanwhile, viewers will be transported outside of the fairytale land that was for the first time when the Evil Queen persuades a skillful man of magic to come work for her one last time and travel to Wonderland in order to help steal something from the Queen of Hearts.

Plot
"Once upon a time, an Evil Queen banished every storybook character you've ever known..."

We see Regina relish in her curse being made as the large flames swirl upwards. She looks at it with and evil smirk as it lights up her face. Regina stares at her newly created Magic Mirror. Belle is walking to the market and turns to see Regina travelling down the road. Snow White and Prince Charming look at each other endearingly on their wedding day. Mary Margaret and David take a romantic stroll together.

"To our world..."

Regina clutches Henry's book and stares at herself, menacingly, in the mirror.

"Who knows the truth?"

Mr. Gold walks across the street to his shop.

"And who can break the spell?"

Emma is seen with Henry at her side, opening her apartment door with one of Regina's skeleton keys. August watches Emma from afar. Henry and Emma are sitting on the fromer's 'castle' as he tells his mother, "You don't play with the curse." Regina sends out a fireball. Emma is taking Mary Margaret's mug shot and Mary Margaret turns to her friend and exclaims, "Emma, this is a mistake, I did not kill Kathryn!" Regina tells Emma, "She hasn't always had her heart broken, that can make you do unspeakable things." Emma uncovers a hunting knife in Mary Margaret's ventalation shaft. Ruby slams a jewelry box shut in the woods, after finding a human heart in it. Emma hands Mary Margaret the same box and asks her if she's seen it before, Mary Margaret tells her that it's her jewelry box. "The evidence is piling up by the hour.", Emma says. Emma tells Mary Margaret to hire a lawyer. Mary Margaret discovers a skeleton key beneath her cell-bed, she stares at the lock of her cell.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
The shot moves out of Mary Margaret's empty bed in the sheriff's office and goes even further to show the unlocked door.

We see Mary Margaret running through the woods at night, seeming in rather a hurry, she then stops, clinging to a tree, to catch her breath for a second. She exhales heavily, looks back, looks forward again, and makes the decision to run on. Henry is reading from his storybook yet seems uneased, he is in the sheriff's station and Emma is seen walking down the hall. She notices Henry and asks him what he's doing there, he explains that he came to congratulate her. "For what?" Emma asks as Mr. Gold walks up behind her, "For your genius plan." Henry tells her, as though it should be obvious. Mr. Gold asks him to which plan he is reffering, and Hery suddenly looks down, awkardly. Mr. Gold realizes that it isn't his place and leaves. Hnery waits to make sure Mr. Gold is gone, "Sorry, I thought Mr. Gold was in on it, now that he's Miss Blanchard's lawyer." Henry explains. "In on what?" Emma is curious to know, "...the escape plan." Henry says. Emma is confused, but before she can ask further questions, she is called into her office by Mr. Gold. Emma, followed by Henry, walks into the office to see that Mary Margaret's cell is open and empty, Emma is shocked. "She's gone." Mr. Gold states, poiting out the rather obvious. "Henry, what did you do?!" Emma asks as she walks up to the cell, wanting to examine it further, Henry assures her of his innocence in the plot, saying that she was gone when he got there. Mr. Gold points out that her court date is the following day and Emma realizes that if she's not there, she's a fugitive. "It doesn't matter if she's convicted for Kathryn or not, she's screwed!" Emma exclaims before saying that she has to go and find her friend before someone notices she's missing, she makes her way towards her desk to gather supplies, Mr. Gold asks if she means Regina and Emma explains that the Mayor'll be there bright and early the next morning to claim her victory. "But, what about me, how could I help?" Henry asks, Emma simply asks him to go home, however, he begins to warn Emma what could happen if Mary Margaret leaves Storybrooke. "Not now, Henry, come on." Emma tells him, uswhering him out of the door. "Miss Swan, I know time is of the essence, but if Miss Blanchard doesn't return... her future's in jeopardy. And if you're caught helping her, so is yours." Mr. Gold points out, Emma stops and tells him, "I don't care, I'd rather lose my job than my friend." Emma leaves leaving Mr. Gold to smile wickedly at the empty cell. Emma gets into her car, pulls out of her parking space, and drives away from the sheriff's station. The car continues to drive down the rainy, forest roads. Emma is seen in side, seeming depressed, she is crying and looks around, apparantly lost. Her car comes to a sudden halt when she notices a masculine figure in front of her, walking down the road. She swerves to avoid him, causing him to roll down a hill and her to skid into madness. The car stops moving and Emma quickly rushes out of it to check on the man, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?! I didn't see you!" Emma exclaims as she runs over to help the man up the hill, he assures her that he's alright, but not so used to being on the road with cras so late. "You're the sheriff, are't you?" the man asks, Emma confirms it. He then asks what brings her out there in the middle of the night, "Oh, nothing to worry about, I'm just looking for... a lost... dog." Emma lies. The man tells her that he hopes she finds it and Emma thanks him, he begins to limp away, "Ah, you are hurt!" Emma exclaims, "I just twisted my ankle, I think, I live just a mile down the road, I'll make it home okay." he assures her. Emma insists that she drive him home. The man smiles and takes her up on her offer. He goes to shake her hand, "I'm Jefferson." he tells her, "Emma." she replies, reciprocating the hand shake. Jefferson follows Emma into her car. In the fairytale world, a man wearing an orange, velvet robe is running speedily through the enchanted forest, it is seen to be the counterpart of Jefferson. He continues to run up a small hill and hides behind a thick tree which he uses to peek around the side to see if anyone is behind him, no one is and he sighs with relief, leaning up against the tree, exhaling. "Papa, I found you!" a young girl exclaims, Jefferson smiles and emerges from the tree to greet his daughter, with whom he was playing hide-and-seek with. She walks up to him, "You certainly did." he tells her, helping her up and saying that she must be pat bloodhound. "Now it's y turn to hide, and you seek." Grace tells him. Jefferson sadly tells her that play time is over but says that she can still use that nose of hers to find enough mushrooms to sell at the market the following day. "Do you think you can do that?" he asks her, she nods, "Ready or not, here we come." he says as the two of them begin to march through the forest. Jefferson and Grace are later walking through the forest with a basket-full of mushrooms that they collected, they seem happy, signifying that they enjoy each other's company. They come up to their house and hear a horse whinnie, Jefferson tells his daughter to look at their cottage and she asks who owns the carriage that is outside. "The Queen's" Jefferson tells her, "In our house?! Do you know her?" Grace asks, angrily. "Of course I know her, now, listen carefully, I want you to stay hidden in the woods. Like our game. I'm gonna find out what she's doing here. Jefferson ventures the final feet to their house but not before shining Grace a smile, he continues as his daughter runs off into the forest. Jefferson walks in-doors to see Queen Regina in his house, inspecting his ornments. He closes the door behind him, "I'd like to say that you're looking well, Jefferson, but I'd be lying." she tells him, "Poverty doesn't suit you." she says. He asks her what she's doing there and she says that she has a job for him, he explains that he doesn't do that anymore, as he hangs his coat. "Yes, I heard you hung up your hat, why? Is it because your sweet daughter, Grace?" Regina asks, curious, holding Grace's doll. "Because of my work, she lost a mother, I don't want her to lose her father, too." Jefferson tells her. Regina asks what kind of future his daughter has there, with him. "Do this one last favor for me, and you can give her the life she deserves." Regina bargains, Jefferson advances on her and tells her that that's why he's staying, because he can't abandon family. "That's what she deserves." he tells her, before asking her to please leave. "All I need is your special skills to get me somehwere, somewhere you've been before. Do it, and I can change your life." She says, hadning him a map witch he snatches from her hads and unfolds, he asks her what business she could possibly have 'there'. "Something of mine was taken and found its way over there, I want it back." Regina explains. "Then find someone else to get it." he tells her, handing the map back. She says that hard-living must have strengthened his resolve, she apologizes for not being able to convince him but says that she understands - "There's nothing more important than family." she repeats. She smiles and leaves, leaving Jefferson to gaze upon his hat-making kit. Back in Storybrooke, Emma's car pulls into the diveway of Jefferson's mansion. The two of them step out of the car, "Wow, this is you house? It looks more like a hotel." Emma asks as she closes the car door, taking it all in. She notes that he must have a huge family, however, Jefferson closes his car door and ammends her, saying that it's just him. Emma begins to feel bad and tells him to wait as she finds something in her car, she emerges a few seconds later with her keys, having taken them out of the ignition. She walks into the house with him. Inside Jefferson's house, Emma is looking around the fireplace, Jefferson walks in, dropping off a tea tray and telling Emma that she made need to warm up a bit for her search. "That is kind of you, but I think I should get back to it." Emma says just as Jefferson pours her a cup of tea and hands it to her. Emma takes it, "I know, that's why I brought this." he says, pulling ou his map of Storybrooke and unrolling it onto his piano, Emma is seen sipping her tea behind him as she walks up to gaze upon the map. "Maybe this'll help you track down your dog." he suggests. Jefferson asks the "dog's" name, "Spot." Emma lies. He says it's cute and cleans up his tea tray as Emma inspects the map. Emma takes another sip of her tea and she suddenly jolts, something's wrong. She tries to talk but seems pretty out of it, Jefferson asks if something's wrong, Emma tries to explain but is too tired, she faints into Jefferson's arms. She blurts out that she's dizzy and Jefferson drags her over to the sofa. He lies her down and begins to walk away, Emma asks what happened to his limp, "Oh, that... I guess you caught me." he tells her, standing over her tired self. Emma drops the tea cup (the tea of which it used to contain, she really shouldn't have drank, as it was obviously drugged with a sedative) Emma passes out and manages to say "Who are you?" before her eyes close. Jefferson lets out an eerie smile.

Act II
Back in the fairytale world, the shot moves down on the makret place where Jefferson sells his mushrooms. He and Grace are out shopping and Grace runs off to a stall as something has caught her eye, a stuffed white rabbit. "Wouldn't he make the perfect guest for our tea parties, papa?" Grace asks, cradling the rabbit, asking if she can have him. Jefferson smiles at his daughter and turns to the old lady running the stall, "Excue me, how much for the rabbit?" he asks her. She tells him it costs five silvers, but all he has is coppers, the ugly old woman doesn't accept this, telling him she she cannot take less than one silver. Jefferson seems disappointed and the old woman snatches the rabbit from Grace's arms, "It's okay papa, let's go, people are waiting." Grace tells him, Jefferson is refusant to leave, "I will not take 'no' for an answer." he tells the hag. Grace asks him to stop, saying that she doesn't need it. Jefferson ponders this in his head, "Come on, sweetie." he tells his daughter before walking away from the stall. The old woman walks round to her carriage where her Magic Mirror begins to speak, "Well, that was awfully cruel, you could have at least have the little girl have her toy." he says. "Where's the fun in that?" asks Regina's voice coming from the old woman's body, her face falshes from the old hag, to Regina, and back to the hag, revealing that it's the queen in disguise. She lets out a cackle. In Storybrooke, Emma awakes in Jefferson's living room with a gag in her mouth, lying on his sofa, she is alone. Her hands are tied behind her back and as she regains full consciousness, she notices her dropped tea cup on the floor. Emma lifts a cushion with her mouth and drops it onto the cup, she manages to sit up and stomps on the cushion with both duct taped feet, smashing the cup underneath. Emma checks to make sure no one's watching and hopsw off of the sofa after kicking away the cushion, she squats over the smashed cup and uses a shard of it to cut the duct tape tying her hands. She then takes the duct tape from her ankles and removes that gag from her mouth. Emma stands up and looks around, she waks over to the window but is unable to open it, she tries the next one along but is still not able to open it. Her attention is next drawn to the telescope in the room, she gazes through it and sees it is ponting towards the sheriff's office. where she works. Emma hears something stirring in the next room, she cautiously apporaches the door and slowly opens it a crack, she sees throug it, Jefferson, sharpening some sort of weapon. She soon realizes it's a rather large pair of scissors. In the enchanted forest, Jefferson snips the final thread from the waste-coat of a home-made white rabbit, he sits it down at Grace's small tea party that she has set up before sitting opposite to her, apologizing for it not being the same as the one at the market. "I love it, papa." she assures him, making Jefferson smile. She thanks him abd grabs a tiny tea pot, pouring it into her cup, she takes a sip, she says it's really good and asks her stuffed tortoise if he agrees. "Papa, do you like your tea?" Grace asks, Jefferson pauses, "Grace, I want you to go to the neighbors for the rest of the day. There's work I have to do." he instructs her, she seems disappointed and asks why she can't come with him, as she likes being with him in the forest, "I'm not going to the forest, sweetie." Jefferson says, shaking his head. "This has to do with the Queen's visit, doesn't it? Whatever she wants you to do, don't do it!" Grace warns him. Jefferson walks over to her and tells her that he has to, so he can give her what she needs, "All I need is you, papa." Grace assures him, sadly before asking him to stay. Jefferson lifts his daughter and hugs her as he carries her into the kitchen and puts her down, saying that he has to go. "Just promise me you'll come back. You have to promise!" Grace excalims as Jefferson grabs her coat, "Of course." he tells her. "For our tea party, promise?" she asks, "Promise." Jefferson tells his daughter. He looks into her eyes, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." he promises her before kissing her forehead. He opens the door and sends her off to the neighbors, Grace leaves, seeming depressed, and Jefferson watches her run off to the neighbors who welcome her gladly. Jefferson then takes the covering from a chest ad places a key into it, he opens the chest and takes out a hat box whixh he carries into the center of the room. The shot zooms in on it. At Jefferson's house in Storybrooke, he continues to sharpen his scissors as Emma watches. Emma then quietly steps out into the hall and closes the door. Emma then creeps down the hall as Jefferson checks his scissors are ready, unfortunately, Emma hits a creeky floorboard, which Jefferson is suddenly alerted by. Emma rushes into the next room along and quietly closes the door behind her, the contents of the room shocks her to the core: Mary Margaret tied up to a chair and gagged. She seems extremely distressed and Emma's eyes widen in surprise.

Act III
Still in the room, Mary Margaret lets out a terrified moan, and Emma, who has just discovered this scene, whispers to herself, "What is going on?" as she walks over to her friend to untie her. Emma removes the gag from Mary Margaret's mouth, "Emmas, thank God." she says, tearing up and scared, Emma asks what she's doing there as she unties her feet. "I ws in the woods... trying to get away... and this man appeared out of no where and grabbed me... Why are you here?" Mary Margaret asks. "I was trying to find you, you escaped, remember?" Emma explains, moving over to untie Mary Margaret's hands. "How did you get out?" Emma asks, standing up, "There was a key... in my cell, under my pillow. Someone put it there." Mary Margaret explains, standing up out of the chair herself. Emma asks who put it there, "I don't know." Mary Margaret whispers, "I'd like to know just as much as you." she says. Emma cautiously opens the door and takes a peek down the hallway, it's empty and she tells Mary Margaret to follow her. They both step out of the room and Emma closes the door behind them before beginnging to guide a disorientated Mary Margaret through the hall. The barrell of a gun is heard clicking, "I see you found Spot!" Jefferson exclaims as he faces Emma and Mary Margaret, gun in tow. "We've already called for back-up. They'll be here any second." Emma lies. "You haven't called anybody. For the same reason you didn't tell me about her: you don't want anybody to know you're here. Which means, nobody does... so now tie her back up." Jefferson says, catching their bluff. Later, Emma is applying Mary Margaret's gag having just tied her back up, Jefferson is standing watch at the doorway. "Emma." Mary Margaret says, Emma assures her that it's going to be alright, Mary Margaret bites down on the gag as Emma applies to to her mouth. Emma stands up and addresses Jefferson, "The telescope, you were watching me. Why?" Emma asks. "I need you to do something." Jefferson says, grabbing Emma by the arm and pulling her out of the room. Mary Margaret screams at Jefferson but it is unclear with her gag, she tells him not to hurt Emma. In Regina's castle, Jefferson is walking through the hall carrying his hat box, accompanied by two of the queen's guards. Jefferson makes it to the queen who greets him. "Jefferson. Good to see you looking more like yourself." she tells him, "I assume you're here because you've reconsidered my offer?" Regina asks. "I want your guarentee, that if I do what you ask, my daughter will warrant for nothing." he tells her, Regina bows and tells him that he has her word. She tells him to open his box and see what it can do. Jefferson removes the lid from his hat box and takes out a rather tatted top hat that he carries preciously. Regina laughs and claps, "I do so like a mand who dresses for the occasion." she tells him, Jefferson places the hat carefully onto the ground and gives it a spin. The hat begins to twirl rapidly and Jefferson and Regina take a step back as a whirl of purple magic begins to form above the hat. The hat becomes the eye of a spinning purple storm contained within the room and the shot moves in and out of it as it flies into the air, creating a portal. "After you!" Jefferson exclaims, "Together!" Regina says, reaching out her hand. Jefferson tells her to hold on as the two of them jump into the large portal in the ground. Back at Jefferson's house, he pushes Emma into a room and she tells him, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but I swear to God, if you hurt my friend, I will make you regret it." Emma says, Jefferson slams the door, "Hurt her? I'm saving her life." he says, advancing on Emma who asks him how he figures that, she walks backwards has he walks forwards, next to a set of shelves filled with top hats. "Don't play stupid," Jefferson tells her, "We both know what happens when you leave Storybrooke." he says. Emma asks him what he's talking about, "The curse." he says, Emma is taken aback, "What curse?" she asks him. "The one keeping us all trapped. Except you." Jefferson explains, Emma asks if he's been reading Henry's book. "Henry? You mean the queen's father?" he asks. "Henry, the mayor's adopted kid." Emma corrects him. "Oh, Henry. Your Henry. And his book of stories, the ones you choose to ignore. Maybe if you knew what I know, you wouldn't." he says. Emma quickly changes the subject by asking Jefferson why he's been spying on her. Jefferson doesn't answer, he merely walks behind her and extends his gun arm, aiming his pistol at her head. He retracts the pistol and walks aroud the center table, saying that for the last 28 years, he's been stuck in his house, day after day, always the same, until she showed up and the clock ticked and things began to change. "You see... I know what you refuse to acknowledge, Emma." he tells her, "You're special." he says, going onto say that she's magic. Emma puases, "You're insane." she tells him. "Because I speak the truth?" Jefferson asks. "Because you're talking about maqgic." Emma tells him. He assures her that he's talking about what he's seen and that perhaps she's the one that's mad. Emma doesn't think so but Jefferson walks up to her and tells her to open her eyes. "Look around. Wake up." he says, asking her if it's about time. Emma asks him what he wants. "I want you to get it to work." he tells her, he grabs her shoulder and sits her down in a chair, Emma asks what he means and he stares at the hat on the table, he tells her that she's the omly one who can do it. "You're gonna get it to work." In the fairytale world, Jefferson and Regina are in a shiny circular room filled with many brightly colored doors, Regina tells Jefferson that she forgot how magnificent he is. "I'm not here to relive the past, I'm here for my daughter." Jefferson tells her. He leads her over to a door that is also a mirror and tells her that it is the entrance. "From this point on we stick together, the same amount of people who go through have to go back. No more. No less. It's the hat's rule... not mine." Jefferson explains. Regina's gloved, black hand strokes the boarder of the looking glass and she says that she understands. Jefferson reaches his hand through the mirror, causing it to ripple, Jefferson then walks through completely. Regina reluctantly follows. Jefferson and Regina walk out of the mirror door at the other side of the looking glass, they are surrounded by large, bright green grass and big, colorful mushrooms. We are shown the crisp blue skay and a large caterpillar sitting on a near-by mushroom. Jefferson and Regina stand there, taking it in. They begin to walk down the pathway with walls of grass. The giant caterpillar suddenly turns to them, with his many gloves, monocle, fez, and the bong he's smoking. "Who are you?" he asks in a deep voice, blowing puffs of circular smoke with every other cyllable. "Who... who?" he asks, Regina comes face to face with a ring of smoke which dissipates in front of her. "I hate Wonderland." Jefferson says as he and Regina move further into Wonderland.

Act IV
Many hat-making tools, consisting primarily of scissors, have been placed on the table in front of Emma, who seems not to have any idea what to do with them. Jefferson walks over to her and drops a hat on the table next to her, "Make one like that." he tells her, using at as an example before walking back, "You want me to make a hat? You don't have enough?" Emma asks, confused, noticing all of the hats in the room. Jefferson tells her that none of them work, and if they did, she wouldn't be there. He tells her to make a hat and get it to work. He sits opposite her as she looks confused at the tools. "You have magic, you can do it." he tells her. Emma is silent, she looks at the tea set on one side of the room and noitcies, yet again, all of the hats on the shelves, "The hats. The tea. Your pshycotic behavior. You think you're the Mad Hatter." Emma says, figuring it out. "My name's Jefferson." he says after a pause. "Okay," Emma says, moving a sheet of velvet and some scissors, "You've clearly climbed onto what my kid, Henry's, got. They're just stories. The Mad Hatter is in Alice in Wonderland. A book. A book I actually read." Emma tries to explain to him, Jefferson refuses to accept this. "Stories? Stories. What's a story? When you were in high school, did you learn about the civil war?" he asks, Emma says she did, Jefferson asks her if she read about it in a book, and asks her how that's any different from any other book. "History books are based on history." Emma says, Jefferson asks her where she thinks the imagination for a storybook comes from, saying that it has to come from somewhere. "You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants a magical solution for their problems, and everyone refuses to believe in magic." Jefferson points out, he points his gun lazily in Emma's direction and tells her to get the hat to work. "Here's the thing, Jefferson. This is it. This is the real world." Emma says, "A real world." Jefferson ammends her. He stands up and leans towards her, asking her how arrogant she must be to think that hers is the only one. "There are infinite more. You have to open your mind. They touch one another. Turn up in a long line of lands. Each just as real as the last, all have there own rules, some have magic, some don't. And some need magic... like this one." Jefferson explains, standing up and pointing his pistol towards Emma again. "And that's where you come in, you and your friend are not leaving here until you make my hat!" Jefferson exclaims, handing a large pair of scissors to Emma. He throws them in front of her and sits back down, gun still in tow, Emma takes the scissors and begins to make some cuts in the fabric. "And then what?" she asks, Jefferson pauses but comes out with, "Then I go home." Back in Wonderland, Jefferson and Regina are at the hedge-trimmed gate to a maze, "You want to go in there?" Jefferson asks, "What I want is a short walk through." Regina tells him as we are shown the entrance has a heart and crowns trimmed into it. Jefferson asks her if she knows who it belongs to, Regina turns to him, frustrated, "The Queen of Hearts." she says, looking at the rose-made heart in the hedge. "She's not one for subtlety." Regina points out. Jefferson reminds her that this wasn't part of their deal, asking Regina if she knows what the oter queen does to those who cross her. "Indeed. Better than most." Regina answers before walking on into the maze. Jefferson doesn't budge but Regina reminds him that he can't leave Wonderland without her, saying that two go through and two go back. She asks him if he's going to let the Queen of Hearts stop him from seeing his daughter. Jefferson begins to walk with her in response, "That's what I thought." Regina tells him, he stops her by extending an arm before she walks any further. "Wait." he says, picking a stick off of the ground and throwing it at a hedge wall, the leaves reach out, grab the stick, and consume it on contact, "Stay away from the walls." he tells her. "I got a better idea. The walls should stay away from me!" Regina exclaims, she waves an arm and, with her magic, she sends a ball offire through the maze, destroying the walls and letting them a clear path straight through the maze. Jefferson takes Regina's arm and they walk through the maze. Regina and Jefferson are soon walking along a pathway that leads to a small building at the end of the maze, Regina removes the lock without touching it and the double doors to the building swing open. Regina enters to see many, many drawers, one in particular shines to her, she opens it and removes the box, "Okay? Got what you need? Shall we?" Jefferson asks, gesturing the pathway they've made through the maze. Jefferson and Regina begin to walk when a group of the queen's guards run after them yelling, "Intruders!" the two of them begin to run themselves, Regina with the box under her arm. They run past a corner in the maze and continue to speed through it as the Queen of Hearts' soldiers chase them. They run past a door in the gate and through it, when the guards come to it, it seals itself off with weeds, Jefferson and Regina come from another exit but are halted by more soliders. There now seems to be one at every turning so Regina uses magic to blast a ouple into the walls, causing them to be consumed. One attacks Jefferson from behind so Jefferson grabs the extremeties and twirls him into the wall, making him sink into it. As the soldier screams, Jefferson and Regina run bck to the small building containing the drawers, they run back through the pathway Regina made in the maze and towards the exit. They are told to stop but refuse, they manage to run out of the maze in the nick of time, as the leave, Regina causes weeds to block the exit, meaning a group of soliders are killed by them when they unwittingly run into it. Regina giggles. Back at the looking glass, Regina and Jefferson are running towards it but Regina stops to inspect a giant mushroom, he asks her what she's doing and she tells him that there's something she has to do first. "A little snack." she tells him, taking a piece of mushroom, Jefferson asks her if she knows what the food there does, she confirms it, she then sets the box down and opens it, she places the food in the box, stands up, and quickly steps back, purpley-black energy emerges from the box and the mist becomes Regina's father, Henry. Jefferson is shocked but Regina higs her father, happy to see him. "This is what he took from you? Your father?" Jefferson asks, "The Queen of Hearts has always seen me as a threat, so she wanted some leverage. I got it back." Regina explains. Henry tells her that they must hurry as the queen's soldiers are coming. "You knew only two could go through the hat." Jefferson says, realizing the queen's evil game. "...which is why you didn't tell me about you father." Jefferson realizes. "It was the only way to make sure you'd help me." Regina says. Jefferson tries to grab her but his feet are stuck to the ground thanks to Regina's magic. The ground tightens around his feet and Regina and her father walk closer to the mirror, "Wait! WAIT! Please! My daughter. My... my Grace, she's waiting for me, I promised her I'd... I'd be home for tea." Jefferson says, Regina seems to feel guilty as this is said but snaps in anger nonetheless, "A promise which you now have broken!" she exclaims. "If you truly cared for your daughter, you never would've left her in the first place." Regina makes clear. "You were right, Jefferson: you don't abandon family." Regina turns back to her father and the two of them walk through the looking glass, "NO!" Jefferson screams, now having no way out. The queen's soldiers come up the hill and head for Jefferson, they then sieze his arms and drag him back to the palace.

Act V
Jefferson is taken before the Queen of Hearts by the guards, everyone around him is wearing masquerade masks and the queen herself has her faced covered by a red veil. She talks to the Knave of Hearts through a long pipe that comes from her mouth and into his ear, he listens to her mumblings. "Your majesty says she knows you're responsible for helping steal from her." the knave repeats to Jefferson. "The queen! She tricked me!" Jefferson protests, the Queen of Hearts stomps her foot, "That woman's name is Regina!" the knave exclaims, "There is only one queen: The Queen of Hearts." he corrects him. Jefferson apologizes and the queen is heard whispering something to the knave through her pipe, "Your majesty wishes to know how you got to this world. How did you come to Wonderland?" the knave asks. "If I tell you, will you let me go home to my daughter?" Jefferson asks, the knave and the queen laugh, the next thing the Queen of Hearts whispers is very audible, "Off with his head." Jefferson becomes very worried, a guard with a very large axe walks over to him, he swings the axe and cuts Jefferson's head off as another soldier grabs his hair, meaning that his head is held up whilst his body drops to the ground. As Jefferson's head is held up, his eyes are still open and his mouth is still moving, he is shocked to be alive. "I'm alive!" he exclaims, staring at his body on the ground. "If you wish your body back, then answer, how did you get here?" the Knave of Hearts asks. Jefferson says he used the hat, the knave, from the queen, asks where the hat is now. "She took it. Regina." Jefferson explains. "If all you require to make it to your homeland is this magic hat, then surely you can make another?" the knave asks. "I can't. A hat without magic is just a hat. It won't work." he says. The knave tells him that that's his task, to make another magic hat. In Storybrooke, Emma finishes her hat and throws it obto the table. "I can't make it work! What you're asking me is impossible!" Emma yells. Jefferson tells her it has to be because if it's not, he's never goig home, he inspects the hat thoroughly. "I'll be cursed to live in this house forever." he says, "What is so cursed about your life?! Look at this place, it's beautiful! Doesn't seem cursed to me!" Emma points out. Jefferson explains that it's cursed because what he loves has been ripped from him. Emma sighs, Jefferson, pointing at the telescope, tells her to take a look. Emma obliges and walks over to the telescope, she looks through it to see a young girl sitting at the table having dinner with her parents, "Her name is Grace. Here, it's Paige. But it's Grace." Jefferson tells her. "My Grace." he continues. He tells Emma that she has no idea what it's liek watching her day in and day out, happy with another family. "You think she's your daughter?" Emma asks, finally feeling some sympathy for Jefferson. "I don't think! I know!" Jefferson demands, telling Emma that he remembers. Emma nods sadly as Jefferson goes to sit on the corner of the table, noting that she has no idea who he is. He goes on to say that his curse is to remember her as he can never be with her. "What good is this house, these things, if I can't share them with her?" Jefferson asks. Emma asks him why he doesn't reach out to her and tell her, "And destroy her reality? I'm trapped by knowledge. How cruel do you yhink I am? You think I'd inflict that awareness on my daughter? It's hard enough to live in a land where you don't belong, but knowing it, two conflicting realities in your head... would drive you mad." Jefferson explains. Emma asks if that's why he wants her to make the hat work, "You just wanna take Grace home... to your world?" Emma asks, "There's only one world where we can be together... where she'll remember who I am." Jefferson says, sadly. Emma says that she knows what it's like to be seperated from your kid. "Yeah, you do, don't you?" Jefferson acknowledges, emma says that it can make you feel like you're losing your mind. He demands that he's not losing his mind and that Grace is his. Emma seems willing to accept that maybe this is real for the first time, "You believe?" Jefferson asks her. "If what you say is true, that woman in the other room, is my mother. And I wanna believe that more than anything in the world... So maybe you're right? Maybe I need to open myself up more. Maybe if I want magic, I have to start believing." Emma says, Jefferson asks if she can now help him and get him to work. "I can try." Emma says. Jefferson walks over to the hat but Emma picks up his telescope with both hands, as he walks back, she slams the object around his face, causing him to collapse, "Crazy son of a bitch!" Emma exclaims before grabbing the pistol from his belt and running out of the room. Emma runs through the halls of Jefferson's home having successfully stolen his gun, she runs into the room that Mary Margaret is tied up, startling her, she assures her it's okay and removes her gag, she goes to untie her hands and tell her that he cannot hurt her anymore, "EMMA, LOOK OUT!" Mary Margaret screeches, Emma truns around to see that Jefferson is standing at the doorway, wearing a hat, he runs in and dives at Emma, knocking Mary Margaret and her chair across the room and tackling Emma to the ground. Emma tries to crawl to the gun which is nearest to her but Jefferson keeps garbbing her limbs, pulling her back where she keeps trying to go for the pistol, Jefferson soon climbs on top of her, kneeling, and pulls her head of by the hair, causing her to call out in pain, Emma lifts her fist and punches Jefferson in the face, forcing him to be pushed back giving Emma enough room to roll around. Across the room, Mary Margaret rids her hands of duct tape and uses her free hands to untie her legs. Jefferson climbs on top of Emma and begins to use his hands to apply pressure to her throat. She soon moves his hands off, restraining his chest with one arm and pushing on his chin with another, causing him pain. She uses all of her strength put it is not enough as he is able to pull himself and her to their feet by tugging on her shoulders. He tries to shake her off and succeeds, slamming her against the wall, Jefferson retrieves his gun, slams the barrol back and aims for Emma, retieving his hat and placing it upon his head in the process. Jefferson lets out another eerie smile, "Off with his head." he utters, smiling. Behind him, Mary Margaret silently picks up a croquet mallet, sneaks up on Jefferson and smacks him around the head with it, making him turn to her and drop his pistol. Mary Margaret then kicks Jefferson in the chest and he smashes through the window and falls from the building's upper storey. Mary Maragret makes sure Emma's okay, which she is, and looks out the window to check on Jefferson, however, she and Emma see nothing but some broken glass and a top hat.

Act VI
On the ground outside of Jefferson's house where he should have fallen, Mary Margaret and Emma inspect the contents of the hat that was left behind. Mary Margaret picks it up, "There's no sign of him anywhere." Emma notes, "Who was he?" Mary Margaret asks, "A very lonely man." Emma says, "Hang on, have you been taking kick-boxing and not telling me about it?" she asks, Mary Margaret assures her that she has no idea where that came from. Mary Margaret cautious walks around to the front of the house and takes a look around, she is soon followed by Emma. "Emma, look." Mary Margaret says, pointing out Emma;s car which has been covered by a sheet, Emma removes this and enters her car, happy to discover the keys are on the seat. She shwos them to Mary Margaret who seems moderately happy. "So... sheriff, I guess you'll be taking me back now." Mary Margaret says, "Here, go." Emma says, throwing Mary Maragret the keys. "You want me to run?" she asks, "No. But, it's your choice. Just know something; running ain't easy, I've done my share of it, and once you go, there's no stopping." Emma makes clear. Mary Maragret reminds her that everybody thinks she killed Kathryn. "Mary Margaret, you have to believe me, you have to trust me. I know it seems impossible, but I can get you out of this!" Emma says, Mary Margaret asks why it's so important to her, "Because when Regina framed me, and you bailed me out, I asked you why and you said you trusted me. And then when I wanted to leave Storybrooke because I thought it was best for Henry, you told me I needed to stay because that was best for him. I realized, all my life, I have been alone... walls up. Nobody's ever been there for me except for you. I can't lose that, I cannot lose my family!" Emma finalizes, "Family?" Mary Margaret smiles. "Friend.... whatever. You know what I mean." Emma ammends herself. "Wouldn't you rather face this together than alone?" Emma asks, Mary Maragret passes Emma her car keys, Emma takes this as an oppurtunity to hold Mary Margaret's hand. Emma suddenly notices the time and realizes that Regina will be looking for Mary Maragret in her cell, and she won't be there. At the sheriff's office, Emma's parking space is empty just as Regina pulls into the adjacent spot. She steps out of her car, happy to see the empty spot, she continues into the building. In the actual office, Regina is completely shocked by the sight she sees when looking at Mary Margaret's cell: Mary Margaret sitting in it, reading the paper. "Madam Mayor." Mary Maragret says, noticing Regina. "good morning..." Regina says, quickly putting up her much-needed facade. "Excuse me, but my client is not having any visitors." Mr. Gold tells Regina, walking into the room. "Of course not." Regina says, clearly fighting back her rage. Mr. Gold oiffers to see her out and Mary Maragret slowly closes her paper as Regina leaves the room. Regina storms out into the hall followed by Mr. Gold. "What is she doing here?! Regina asks, menacingly, "She came back." Mr. Gold says. "You said this was going to work, that she'd take the key, that she'd go!" Regina exclaims, "She did, but it seems that Miss Swan is rather more... resourceful that we thought. Fear not, you majesty, Miss Blanchard's still on trial for murder. You may yet get what you want." Gold explains. Regina says that the only reason she made a deal with Gold is because she wanted results, Mr. Gold tells her that results, she will have, he tels her that he'll see her at the court date. Regina walks out of the station. At Henry's school, Henry is sitting at a picnic bench alone when Emma walks up to him and sits next to him. Emma tells Henry that she found Mary Margaret, he asks how she is and Emma says that she's fine, other than being on trial for murder. Grace walks up to them and says hi to Henry before walking off, "Who's that?" Emma asks, Henry tells her that her name is Paige and that she goes to school with him. Emma asks Henry if he has his storybook with him, he says he does and retrieves it from his bag, asking her why, "I'm just curious about something." she says as she receives the book. Emma rifles through the pages and sees a picture of the Mad Hatter talking to his daughter. On the next page, she sees a crazed version of him locked in a room. "What? What is it?" Henry asks, Emma assures him that it's nothing. In the fairytale world, a crazed Jefferson has hat-making materials all around him as he is sewing together yet another hat, whispering and repeating that it's got to work. He smiles at a material and we see the many, many, many hats that surround him, he crazily puts things together and makes more and more and more hats. Hat after hat after hat, madly. He keeps telling it to work and the shot reveals the literally thousands, perhaps millions, of hats and hat-making fabrics and tools all around him as he finishes yet another. In Storybrooke, Emma is shocked at the book and Henry alerts her that he has to go to class, Emma asks him if she can hold onto the book and Henry happily obligesw to her request. Emma watches Henry leave and looks back down at the book, she smirks it off, but soon becomes intrigued.

Trivia

 * Although credited, Josh Dallas (David Nolan/Prince Charming), Eion Bailey (August W. Booth) and Raphael Sbarge (Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket) are absent from this episode. However, Bailey was featured in promotional stills, so his scenes were probably cut.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.