[center][i]*~*Collaboration between Ghost Shadow, Guardian Angel Haruki, YoshiSkittlez, and Tanderbolt*~*[/i][/center]

Nick wasn't sure how long he had been crying in the middle of the street. All he knew was that the purple cloud he saw spread throughout Storybrooke had passed over him, leaving him seemingly unharmed. 

Rubbing his eyes for a few moments to clear away any last remnants of tears, Nick stood up to his feet; looking about his surroundings. Though he never knew Storybrooke, at least not in his [i]original[/i] life...he could tell where to go, as though the five years in a lull had imprinted themself to his memory. 

Hearing what sounded like mass clamor from the clock tower, Nick made his way down the roads until he found himself at the outskirts of a large gathering of people, voices calling out over each other in a variety of emotions: sadness, joy, rage, confusion, and even fear. 

Dr. Whale led the huge crowd to the front of Regina's house, with torches and weapons in hand. He didn't have to say anything, the crowd shouted everything for him, calling for Regina to come out and face justice, or else they would set her house on fire. 

Nick pieced through the crowd, trying to recall all his mental faculties; memories crossing over each other as he struggled to determine what was real, fake, old, or new. But one thing stuck out amongst all the others. Mason, his [i]son[/i] was here...in Storybrooke. He had spoken to him, rescued him, and he hadn't the faintest idea who the boy was - until now. 

In an instant, instinct took the place of reason, and Nick knew he would have to rescue his boy from Regina. Though he had no clue who the Mayor really was, the populace's reaction towards her was...less-than-savory. 

Quickly heading away from the town square, Nick's pace hurried into a sprint as he carried himself down the neighborhoods until coming across Regina's large white house, a moderately sized mob already forming outside carrying medieval weapons and torches. 

Eyes landing on Dr. Whale, who seemed to be heading up the mob, Nick pushed past the crowded masses until he was within speaking distance of the doctor. 

"Whale," Nick began, his voice deathly serious. "Give me an axe." He practically demanded. Nick was going to get his son one way or another; he wouldn't lose him again. 

Dr. Whale answered Nick deadly serious, his anger directed at Regina, not at Nick, "Leroy has an extra axe. I'm sure he'll lend it to you," 

The crowd continued shouting, and a couple were even close to Regina's house, ready to drop the torch and set the house on fire. 

Nick nodded curtly before turning his attention to the former town janitor, managing to (after a bit of arguing) acquire the spare axe; a tool that now felt so familiar to him, given his past occupation. 

Stepping up to the front door, ignoring any premonitions of magical defence, Nick didn't even bother to demand Regina's surrender before lifting the axe up over his head and swinging it down with all the strength he could muster; making a nice-sized gash through the wood. 

Yanking the axe out of the hole, Nick raised it once again before bringing it down, sending splinters of wood flying from the impact. He would be able to cleave through the entirety of the door in just a few minutes, leaving only Regina to stand in the way of his son. 

The large white door suddenly swung open by a force that hadn't come from the former Mark Dufresne's axe. As the door opened, an ill-timed axe swing came down nearly clipping the ear of the curious-eyed eight-year-old boy who had opened the door. He didn't seem too startled by the blade coming down so quickly and so close to him, only blinking rapidly in succession a few times before tilting his head to the side a bit, staring right up at Nick Chopper and into his eyes.

"Are you here for my mom?"

Upon seeing the door swing open and Mason's bright face appearing before him, Nick suddenly dropped the axe with a loud clatter to the floor, inwardly thanking God he hadn't hit his own son. 

"Mason...it's me: Papa." Nick said softly, seeming to ignore the other members of the mob that had gathered as he squatted down to eye-level with his son, a soft expression on his features. And yet, he felt a certain emptiness inside...as though he was unable to feel the full extent of his joy, his love. But why? Waiting to answer this question another time, Nick simply looked into Mason's eyes; gauging for any reaction. 

Mason seemed to study the older gentleman's face, his eyes looked concentrated, but everything else about him seemed...completely blank.

"Why do you want to hurt my mom?" He then asked after a prolonged period of silence between the two as the crowd behind Nick Chopper was anything [i]but[/i] quiet once they discovered the boy was fine.

Standing to his full height, Nick's expression shifted from one of confused perplexion to dismay as it seemed that his own son didn't recognize him. Opening his mouth to speak, he was suddenly interrupted by Regina's voice from inside.

"Mason!"

The bright eyed boy turned from the man to look upon his mother coming down the stairs, fluffing out her hair as she walked to the door, taking his wrist and pulling him away from the angry mob. She had forgotten all about the injuries she had sustained earlier that morning, coupled with a good makeup job and her blood pumping pure adrenaline didn't even give her reason to remember she should be hospitalized.

"What can I help you with Mr. Dufresne?" Regina asked with a pleasant smile, taking a moment to look past him and at the others crowding around her porch.

Nick's eyes moved from Mason's up to Regina. 

"My name is Nick Chopper." He corrected in a serious voice, before touching on the next issue. "What did you do to [i]my[/i] son?" He demanded in a tone that bode no indulgence. 

"Excuse me? [i]Your[/i] son?" Regina rested her hand on her hip, her brown eyes narrowing on him in a cold stare. "[i]My[/i] son had no parents, so I took the route any respectful person would and adopted him. It's a solid, legal binding...[i]Chopper[/i]..." Regina tilted her head to look on his face thoughtfully, her eyes softening just a bit. "Nick Chopper...must not have been very important back home, name doesn't ring any bells..."

"Mason had two [i]very[/i] loving parents, Mayor Mills." Nick began, using her title out of more spite than respectful formality. "He was [i]taken[/i] from me, as was his mother-"

"Mason? Do you know this man?" Regina asked, turning to her son and cutting off Nick rather abruptly. The wide eyed boy looked back to Nick and then Regina, shaking his head no.

"Is he really my papa?" He asked Regina.

"Of course not. Real fathers don't abandon their children." Regina replied, folding her arms across her chest, looking back at Nick now with a smirk playing on her red lips.

Nick could only look between the Mayor and his son as they spoke, the comment on fathers never abandoning their children causing tears to sting at his eyes - though they never got further than that. He wanted to yell, to fight, to take his boy back home. But he wouldn't, he couldn't. Something was holding him back, holding him away. 

Moving to step off the porch, Nick gave one last, longing look in Mason's direction. 

"I'll fight for you, son. I always have." He said lastly before turning his back to the two of them, brushing past the mob with complete indifference; the only thing he felt was his shoulder aching terribly. 

Dr. Whale spoke up angrily, raising his weapon, "That smirk isn't going to last forever Regina. You took everything away from us and now-"

"What?" Regina snapped back coldly, stepping further into the arch of the front door so she was more than halfway outside now. "Now you're going to kill me?"

He answered her with a glare "Eventually, but first...you need to suffer," 

Regina finally took the first step out of her home, pushing Dr. Whale in the middle of his chest harshly and forcing him to take a step backwards.

"Listening to you and Chopper over there has been enough suffering for all of us." She replied, pushing on his chest once again to force him off her porch completely.

"That's right." Regina said, now addressing the entire mob, catching the back of Nick Chopper as he pushed through the crowd to walk away, perhaps home to cry or to The Rabbit Hole to drown his sorrows, she could really care less. "Well my dears..." Regina began to raise her arms, willing the magic to flow through her veins. "...here...she...is!" She flattened her palms and watched with amusement as the entire crowd ducked down to escape her wrath...except...except nothing happened. There was no magic, not even a puff of smoke...absolutely nothing.

"SHE'S POWERLESS!!!" A man shouted after he stood up from his ducking position, and another shouted "GET HER!!"

"What?" Regina looked at her hands as if they were a piece of faulty equipment. She didn't understand. How was this possible? Magic had been brought to Storybrooke and yet...she couldn't wield it?

After the man shouted, Dr. Whale and the crowd followed him to Regina. Dr. Whale was the one to grab her wrist and shoved her against a column. 

Regina was abruptly reminded of her injuries the moment her back made contact with the stone pillar of her porch, a harsh whimper and wince coming from her as she was unable to surpress it.

"Mom?" Mason called out, worry coming over his young face as he looked upon Dr. Whale with confusion. "What are you doing? Let her go!" The small boy threw himself at Dr. Whale, getting in a lucky shot as his knuckles clipped the side of Dr. Whale's jawline and continued wailing his fists down in a blind rage. "GET THE FUCK OFF MY MOM!"

Dr. Whale shouted in pain when Mason managed to land a hit on his jaw, and continued wailing on him with attacks weaker than the first. The scientist snarled "Back off!" and shoved him into the mob, where he was restrained by the other men. 

He then looked back to Regina and he snarled "Now...where were we? Ah, yes," He then grabbed Regina's throat, like a certain woman before him did, and started crushing her windpipe.

"HEY!" A clear voice rang out loud and clear over the crowd, recognition immediately hitting on all ears and the rioting group quieted almost immediately as David Nolan pushed his way through the group and towards Dr. Whale, Sheriff Leland trailing behind him. After he had parted ways with Dr. Stevenson he had gone straight to the Sheriff's office for Robert's help. He had hoped that the Sheriff wouldn't be too busy to lend a hand, but ended up walking in on some sort of post-accidental-gunshot business in another group led by Moe French, the town flourist.

"Now that's enough!" David yelled at the people, gripping onto Whale's wrist harshly and pulling it from Regina's throat. Snow may have been better at talking to large groups, but when he had enough, he made it nice and clear. "This is not the way!"

Dr. Whale looked to David and he snarled "Now, why the bloody hell should I listen to you?" Some of the people in the crowd seemed to agree, echoing the question, while those who knew David remained silent.

"Because no matter [i]what[/i] Regina did, it doesn't justify this." David said letting his eyes narrow on Dr. Whale for a brief moment. "We're not murderers here."

Dr. Whale sneered in response to David, "We're not from this world in case you've forgotten,"

What had seemed like a good day for Robert in the morning continued to be terrible. It looked like he would have to deal with a third violent incident in one day, something that was inconcievable in the Storybrooke he remembered. Robert approached Dr. Whale from behind, and said "Doesn't matter what happened, there are rules for you to follow. If you want to remain awake right now, I suggest you calm down." His tone of voice was harsh and growling, more menacing than his usual deadpan.

"We have a lot to figure out, and this isn't the way to do it. Regina's death won't provide any answers. She needs to be locked up...for her safety but more importantly for ours." David directed his attention to the multitude of the crowd, who all seemed to be...content (more or less) with the idea of having Regina locked up.

Regina was the first to look at Robert, her eyes narrowing; daring him to come any closer to her but David was quick to put his own eyes on the sheriff, his own eyes telling him the exact opposite.

Robert stood still, making sure no one resorted to violence. His curse had returned, and he could not arrest Regina even though he wanted to. He was still sheriff, but he was also under Regina's command, and it was impossible for him to work against her. Robert spoke up "You should've brought Graham. I can't do this, much as I want to I can't. I'm still bound by that stupid deal I made, it came back when the magic returned."

Regina's lips turned up into a smirk as David pinched the bridge of his nose, folding one arm over his chest to tuck his hand underneath his armpit. He could hear the crowd behind them growing noisy again. He didn't have time for this; he didn't have time for anything! Snow was gone, he should be spending time trying to figure out how to get her back. Graham was dealing with the small mob that had broken into the Sheriff's station, he couldn't be in two places at once. David released his hold on his nose and stepped up to Robert, reaching his hand to Robert's hip and snatched the cuffs from his belt.

"Then I'll be your hand." David said to Robert with a nod before turning to face Regina. His eyes met The Evil Queen's, neither of them speaking a word but their eyes spoke volumes as Regina held out her wrists and David slapped the cuffs down on her wrists.

Regina looked down at the metal cuffs now constraining her wrists before shooting a sideways glance to her son who had pulled himself from the hold of the men who had been restraining him from before.

"What about Mason? You can't just leave him unattended he needs me."

"Actually, he doesn't." David said giving Regina a rather cheeky grin. Regina's eyes narrowed, confused. "He has a father, after all..." David nodded over to Robert to take the boy to find Mark - Nick...whoever he was now. Mason might not have remembered, but he knew Mark long enough to know that he wouldn't lie about something like this.