Description: AU in which after Cora died, Regina wants to leave town so she can start her life over somewhere new, so she enlists the help of Rumplestiltskin. He agrees to help her if she distracts Emma long enough for him to get Neal back to Storybrooke in return. She reluctantly agrees.
Eventual Swan Queen.
There would always be something distinctly alluring about wanting what she couldn't have. It was what she was designed to be. By her mother, by Rumplestiltskin, and by fate itself. She was designed to want something and fight for it, despite not truly being able to have it.
Take Snow White's head on a platter for instance.
She'd wanted the young woman dead since the moment she held a dying Daniel in her arms.
Revenge was what she'd wanted. She wanted to not only avenge Daniel's death, because she could say it was all done for him until she used up all the breath in her lungs but even she knew that was just a one-liner explanation that barely made sense to even her anymore, but what she really wanted was revenge.
Deep down to her core, Regina knew she wanted Snow White dead for taking away her happiness. Daniel was her only chance at getting away from her mother and finally being loved without consequence.
He was taken away from her.
And her mother.
And her son's love was as well something she ruthlessly fought for through his childhood. It too was taken away from her by Snow White, and her offspring.
But most importantly happiness and a sense of serenity, just as everyone else seemed to be entitled to. Regina wanted a happy ending.
She couldn't blame it on Snow anymore. Fate had designed her to live a cruel life of murder, revenge, and loneliness. Aware that she was capable of love but her son saw it saw it as overbearing. Regina felt too deeply and that had been a problem for Henry.
The things she was willing to do to protect him were things that scared him and it was obvious he would have preferred death than to be saved by her magic.
Because Emma's was good magic. Savior magic. While Regina's was evil and dark. Born from anger and betrayal while Emma's was born from happiness and love.
She couldn't blame him precisely. It was fate. Her destiny.
And now for once, Regina wanted something that no one could take away from her. She wanted out of Storybrooke.
She just needed to find a way out without losing her memory.
"Gold," she spit his name like acid on her tongue. Regina stands with her arms crossed over her chest as the man unlocks the door to his pawn shop that no one frequents anymore.
He tenses for a moment but then his shoulders slack and he turns with a smug smile. "I knew you'd come to kill me one day. Sorry, Dearie. I'm afraid today isn't the day I die."
For a second, Regina wonders if she's this annoying when she assumes everyone is out to get her. She shakes her head clear of the thought and lets her arms fall to her sides to assume a less intimidating stance. "That's not why I'm here."
"Hmm," he ponders her for a moment before resuming unlocking the door. The bell chimes and he holds it open for her. "Come on in, Dearie."
Hesitantly but determined, Regina walks through the shop's entrance. A surge of electricity runs through her and she turns to look at him appalled with wide eyes. "Did you just strip me of my magic?"
He waves her off. "Only while you're here. Don't worry, Dearie. Not even I can use my magic in this shop. Belle prefers it that way."
She rolls her eyes at the mention of his 'true love' but decides to get straight to the point. "I need to get out of Storybrooke." She says in a way that implies he owes her a favor. And maybe he does. He was the one that used her as a pawn in his scheme to find his son. A son that left the minute he realized his father was still intimidating people with the use of magic.
He owes her something.
"Ooh," his eyes grow with a disturbingly large amount of interest. "And what could you possibly want that is outside of town?"
She considers telling him the real reason; happiness. But decides it's like dangling a toy in front of a cat. He wouldn't be able to resist ruining her chance at happiness.
"I am out of some personal supplies that the local stores don't order for me anymore."
He knows it's a lie but he doesn't know what she really wants that's on the other side of the town line so he plays along. And she's aware he knows she's lying but she doesn't care as long as he helps her.
"Well unfortunately Dearie, the only way out of here comes with a price." He looks heavenly delighted in not being able to help her. "You'll lose all of your memories and considering you forgot to create an identity for yourself in the curse, who knows what could happen to you Brain damage, I presume."
She ignores his annoying smile. "There has to be a way around that. Emma and Henry left without losing their memory."
He limps around the glass display case of magical artifacts and treasuries. "Henry and Emma are the only ones that weren't cursed by you."
"You left,"
He looks at her thoughtfully. "Alright, fine. There may be a way for you to leave Storybrooke unharmed by the boundary. But are you sure a few hair products and perfume is worth it?" he baits her with a delightful gleam in his eye.
She bites her tongue. "I'm positive." She says through clenched teeth.
"There is a potion you can drink," he turns towards a large rack of herbs and potions of different colors. It's rather intriguing but she bites down her appetite for dark magic. "The taste is awful and I'm sure there are side-effects."
Regina looks at Gold with a curious eye. "How do I know I can trust you?"
He shrugs. "You have nothing that I want anymore. You are of no use to me."
It's like a shot at her self-worth. Everyone is of use to Rumplestiltskin. Everyone's destiny is intricately entangled like a cobweb. He can easily use someone to get something for someone else or himself.
It's as simple as walking across the street to ask a neighbor for a cup of sugar.
But not her. She's not useful. Her destiny no longer intrigues him. He doesn't need her anymore and something about that makes her feel disturbingly useless.
She folds her arms over her chest protectively.
Gold returns from the shelf with a vial of a red gooey mixture. "But there is something I need you to do before I can give you the potion." He says, yanking the potion out of her reach teasingly in the same way she had with the teacup all those months ago.
"And there's the real price," she mumbles to herself. "What is it?"
"Sheriff Swan seems to believe the law around here is relevant to me." His thumb strokes the side of the vial and she glares at him maliciously. "There is something I've been working on to get my son back here. Certainly the world outside of Storybrooke doesn't interest me and frankly it frightens me just a tad. However, I found that Sheriff Swan still holds a place in his heart."
Regina purses her lips thoughtfully, almost repugnant at the thought of Baelfire and Emma Swan. She's not one to care for who dates who but that was just a relationship she didn't quite understand. Most importantly she didn't understand Emma's attraction to the deadbeat.
"What does that have to do with me?"
Gold smirks as if he has a secret and she already knows he's not going to share it. "I need you distract her."
She rolls her eyes, becoming vastly impatient with the man. "You can't be serious. How am I to distract Miss Swan?"
He grins mischievously at her. "I'm sure you can think of something. After all, she is the one that grants you visitation with your son. Is she not?"
"Yes." Regina admits through gritted teeth.
"Then perhaps, you pitch an idea to her of some sort. Take Henry out of town. You're creative, Dearie. I'm sure you'll think of something." He finishes with a wink.
"And just how long am I expected to distract her?" Regina's nose wrinkles at the thought of having to spend any time with the Sheriff at all, but in the interest of seeing Henry just before she leaves for good, she considers it.
"I need three weeks." He says but she can tell right away that's just an estimate. "My plan is sure fire, however I have to take into account that my son hasn't returned to New York. He knows I'll simply go there to find him again."
She grinds her teeth.
"But don't fret, my Queen. He will return to Storybrooke with me and when he does, I'll give you the potion and you're free to leave."
"And this plan," she gestures vaguely to the shop around them. "It's nothing harmful to my son, is it? He holds a special place in Baelfire's heart just as much as Miss Swan."
Gold's usual leer hardens at the sound of his son's name coming from Regina. "Little Henry is safe." He promises, barely.
"Three weeks." She accepts with a scowl. "That's it. Any longer than that, and I will help myself to the potion with or without your permission."
"Three weeks." He agrees.
