It took Regina a moment to realise where she was when she first came to. As usual, she smiled and reached for Robin and, just as she had every morning since that fateful day, she was unpleasantly brought back to reality when there was no one there to grasp. The last few mornings she'd been greeted with an empty side of the bed and spent the rest of the day mourning the loss of her soul mate. This time she was not so lucky.

It was the rattling of her handcuff chains which brought her memories back to her. Gold knew she'd been lying, that she'd been on Emma's side after all and had ordered Maleficent to knock her out. With wide eyes, she glanced around to assess the situation. She squinted in the light and grimaced at the pounding in her head before realising where she was; her vault, sat in front of her former teacher.

"Your hands are tied, I'm afraid. No more magic for you today."

She knew Gold was telling the truth, she could feel it. The magic was there still but trapped beneath the surface, like bubbling stew under a tight lid.

"So I'm your prisoner, now?" She seethed, as she pulled experimentally at the chain between her wrists.

"So it would appear." Gold smiled.

"What about everything you said to me? You wanted me to find my happiness." She questioned, wondering whether she need be afraid of him right now. She was well aware of what he was capable of, but he'd come so far since his darkest days.

"Well, that's true. Just not at my expense. You see, the affection I have for you, well, there are limits."

"What happened to you?" She asked.

"I lost everything. Just as you will, if you don't do as I say." He sounded broken, empty. "I need your help to lead the Saviour down a... Darker path."

She stood and took a step towards him. "And why, exactly, would I do that?" She hissed, perhaps it was foolish to antagonize him, but she'd be damned if she took a threat sitting down.

"I think you're forgetting, dearie, which of us is more powerful. You do remember that everything you know is a result of my teaching, do you not?" He replied, smugly.

"You underestimate me, dark one." She said as she sauntered a little closer to him, still as threatening as ever even with her hands tied. "Find someone else to do your dirty work."

"Ah, but it's you I need," Gold said, "and if you think I'm going to let you go skipping back to the saviour and continue working against me, you're delusional."

Regina stayed silent, glaring at Gold. If looks could kill he would burn where he stood.

He moved faster than a viper, hand clasping around her throat and he squeezed, bringing about a sudden sense of déjà vu as she remembered how he'd once grabbed her this way through the bars of his cage when she'd asked him about the requirements of the dark curse. Rumpelstiltskin was back, but he hadn't phased her then and he wouldn't faze her now. She clenched her teeth and held his gaze.

"I had assumed this would be an easy choice for you, but it appears I was wrong," He spat at her, "There are a number of ways I can persuade you to do my bidding and, trust me, none of them are pleasant. You'd be wise to forget your pride for the minute."

"Never." She choked out with difficulty as he tightened his hold, squeezing until she began to gasp for breaths, her chained hands came up to claw at his. Without her magic, however, she was powerless. Gold smiled as he watched her struggling. Just when black spots began to appear in her vision and a tingling feeling spread throughout her body, he released her.

She coughed and spluttered for a moment, before saying in a hoarse voice, "Do your worst."

Gold grinned. He was well aware of what this woman was capable of withstanding, having known her mother, but he was never one to mind a challenge.

"I have a quick errand to run now, but I'll be back, dearie. While I'm gone, why don't you have a think about my past and the lengths I've gone to in order to obtain what I want? Perhaps you'll see reason and we can avoid all of the… nastiness."

"First things first, have you heard from Regina?" Emma asked as she barrelled into her parents' loft. She'd just woken from the sleeping curse and after lifting a heavy, still-unconscious and snoring pirate from her chest she'd jumped into action, worrying about what advancements Gold and his lackeys had made while the town had been out of it.

"Henry did. They used the curse to keep you out of the way while they got the page, he said he gave Regina the page you created. You know, the forgery." Mary-Margaret said.

Emma instantly felt dread settle into the pit of her stomach, "Regina said there was no way Gold would believe it was the real thing."

"Well, Henry didn't have much of a choice. Apparently, Cruella and Maleficent accompanied her. He could either give her the forgery or the real thing and we know what they would do if they got their hands on that." David explained.

"Regina's in trouble, I know it. How long ago was this?"

"Uh," David looked at Mary-Margaret, "I think about three hours ago?"

"Oh, God," Emma immediately broke into a run and made for the door, hearing but not listening to her parents worried questions as she left. She climbed into her bug and headed straight for Gold's pawn shop.

She drove in a frenzy, not caring much for speed limits and pulled up right outside within just a couple of minutes. When she got inside, however, she was greeted with an empty room. Worse still, the open sign still hung in the door, meaning Gold must have left in a hurry to have not bothered changing it.

It was what she spotted on the floor just outside that caused her heart to plummet, however. She bent down to get a closer look and confirm her suspicions. A couple of pieces of paper were yet to be blown away by the wind, torn pieces of the forgery. Gold knew.