"Emma, are you sure you're alright," Snow questioned her daughter, casting a worried expression towards her husband. When no response came and the blonde continued her previous action of pacing the floor of the sheriff's station, Charming stepped in and halted her movements.
Placing his hands on either side of the blonde's shoulders, he demanded, "What's going on with you lately? It's like you're off in another world." Unable to focus on her father's words, Emma muttered incoherent sentences to herself then bolted from the room, towards the parking lot.
She had to find Gold. She had to find Regina.
The small bell on top of the door to Gold's Pawnshop dinged, signaling Emma's arrival.
"Ah, Miss Swan," he greeted with a knowing smirk. "What can I do for you?" Emma eyed the man carefully, debating whether or not to tell him the whole truth about her visit. "It's alright. I already know why you're here," he confessed, letting out a squeal of enjoyment, much to Emma's annoyance.
"You're here about Regina," he concluded, meeting her gaze with his own, challenging the blonde. At the sound of the woman's name escaping from the crocodile's lips, Emma fumed, "You don't have the right to say her name!"
Instead of inflicting its intended damage, her words prodded the man to let out another giggle of pleasure. "I see," he responded slyly, rounding his counter and drawing closer to the blonde. "So what is it that you seek from me?" Thinking she caught the man in a lie, Emma was quick to retort, "I thought you said you already knew." She flashed him a smug grin and crossed her arms protectively over her chest.
Leaning on his cane, Gold riposted, "Oh, I'm aware of your motives, dearie." A Cheshire grin crept up the man's face. "I just want to hear you say it," he spat.
Taking in a deep breath and reminding herself the real reason she had come to the shop, Emma willed herself to calm down. Closing her eyes, she imagined Regina before her. A moment later, her imagination showed a vivid image of the brunette in distress and Emma knew she had to save her. Something just felt wrong. She hadn't seen the brunette for three whole days!
Emma slowly opened her eyes, visibly and mentally as relaxed as she was going to get in her current circumstances. "I need your help…finding Regina," she grumbled out. The grin returned to the man's face in its full form as he responded in a sing-song voice, "Well, why didn't you just say so?" Once again, he squealed, loving the effect it had on the blonde.
Emma glared at the man from behind as he made his way back to behind his counter and retrieved a small vial, which contained a clear liquid. "This," he began, referencing the vial. "Is the same potion I had given your mother when she was on the search for our beloved queen." His voice was laced in sarcasm, which irked the blonde to no end. "It contains one tear from the woman and when you drop it into your own eye, you see everything that she sees, as well as the other senses." Emma nodded, reaching for the vial, only to have it jump back from man's quick movements.
"Nah uh," he teased, holding up a finger at the blonde. "Everything comes with a price." The woman rolled her eyes at the familiar phrase.
"What do you want, Gold," she exhaled, already tired of being in the man's presence. "Glad you asked," he smiled, revealing his golden teeth. There was a short pause in conversation, giving him room to ponder his next words, then he requested, "Just let her know that I was the one who sent you, got it, dearie?"
Emma eyed the man skeptically, wondering what he could possibly gain from helping find the woman of her affections, then she decided 'the hell with it' and took off, vial in hand.
Entering her car, she checked her phone and noticed multiple calls and texts from both of her parents. Emma let out a huff of annoyance and then pressed 'ignore'. She chose not to return to the station or her mother's apartment, so she made the decision to enact the spell while in her bug.
While taking off the cork to the spell, Emma noticed a tiny piece of paper on the neck of the vial, wrapped tightly by a thin line of string. Removing the paper, she read, 'Warning: do not use without the owner's permission. You don't know what you might…experience.'
Ignoring the warning, Emma crumbled the paper into a ball, tossing it behind her to the backseat. Then the blonde tilted her head back and allowed one single tear to pour from the glass vial and mold itself to her eyeball.
For a moment, all Emma saw was white light, then it faded to black. She was about to open her eyes, assuming the spell didn't work, but then something very strange happened.
She was staring into a mirror and the reflection was not of her usual, blonde self. It was Regina! She's okay, but that's not all. Not only was she staring at Regina's reflection from the brunette's own eyes, the woman was stark naked! The last thought the blonde had before her mind completely gave into its new reality was, 'Holy fuck, she's hot.' Ever the charmer, Miss Swan.