Authors Note and Disclaimer: Do not own Once Upon a Time and it's respective content. No monetary gain is happening. Otherwise enjoy th story!
Prologue
It was just any ordinary rainy work day. Roslyn Wheeler ran the one stop shop of fine yarns in the small town of Storybrooke, Maine. The bell on the door handle jingled. Roslyn looked up from her ledgers and saw the most feared man in Storybrooke.
"Ah, Miss Wheeler," came the gruff Scottish brogue of Mr. Gold. "I'm here to collect my rent payment."
Roslyn sighed in irritation. Honestly is money that all that man cares for, money, money and more money? She walked into the back room of the shop to where her safe was with the precious rent money. As she was retrieving said money she could hear the cough that the shrewd business man had made in impatience.
"I rather you hurry Miss Wheeler, I have my other rounds to pursue!"
"Yes, I'm coming Mr. Gold." Hurriedly Roslyn grabbed the rent money out of her safe and went back to the man that was considered to be the impish beast of the entire town. She handed the rent over to her debtor who had an exasperated look to his face, and a look of irritation that reached into the souls of his dark brown eyes.
"Thank you Miss Wheeler. Have a grand day!" Mr. Gold swept out of the shop, cane happily marching in sync with its owner.
Ooh does that man piss me off so much! Thought Roslyn as she went back to balance her ledgers. I wish that my sister were here with me! Roslyn's family consisted only of her twin sister Selene who was now committed in Storybrooke's General Hospital for her long battle of acute chronic pancreatitis. Despite all the pain that Selene went through, she was still a bright cheery and beautiful young woman who usually dealt with Mr. Gold's rent collecting when it came time to pay. It seemed to Roslyn, that Mr. Gold seemed gentler in conversation with her sister more than her. Granted Roslyn was indeed more exuberant and out-spoken than her quieter and timid twin, but that was beside the point! Does the whole wide world want to see her plummet to her death by the hands of the evil pawnshop/debt collector named Mr. Gold?
Anyway, beside the dreaded rent payment, the day wasn't a complete loss. Roslyn had made sales on her fine threaded skeins of alpaca, mohair, blended fibres of all sorts. Her best customer was of course, Granny Lucas who ran the town's only bed and breakfast. Roslyn and Granny would talk nonstop of all the different types of yarn and patterns for both knitting and crocheting that came in the shop.
As the day came to a close, and night fell over Storybrooke, Roslyn tided around the shop and locked the door to the shop. As she turned around from the door, Roslyn ran right into a young woman, dressed in an oversized tweed coat and rags that looked like it came from the hospital, and fell to the ground.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," Roslyn said to the young woman rushing to help her up. "Are you alright dearest?"
The young woman looked at Roslyn as she was brushing herself off in surprise. She then spoke with a soft but undeniable accent. "Oh, it's okay. I'm not hurt but tell me do you know where Mr. Gold is?"
"Mr. Gold? Why do you want Mr. Gold for? Are you in trouble?" The young woman looked around the street, and then at Roslyn seemingly lost in direction.
"I just need to find him. Please help me." Her voice was urgent, and Roslyn got an inkling of panic in her stomach that whatever this young woman needed from the terror of town was too important for any more delay.
"I know Mr. Gold will be in his shop still yet at this time. It's across the street and up three stores. If you pass the mechanic shop you've gone too far."
"Thank you so much for helping me."
"Nah, it's no problem. I just hope whatever you need from Mr. Gold is worth the price you're going to have to pay."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Gold is a shrewd business man. All things worth having have a price and he thrives on being the hand to both deal and collect in those prices. I wish you luck in whatever you need his help on."
The young woman looked startled but thanked Roslyn again for her help, and replied that she needed to find Mr. Gold. Roslyn again wished the best for her and watched her cross the street and disappeared from her view. Roslyn herself turned in the opposite direction and headed for her apartment.