The bell on top of the door rang as Regina pushed it open.
Rumplestiltskin stood behind the counter, fixing an old clock. He took off his gloves and wiped his hands on a handkerchief. "Good morning, dearie. What can I do for you?"
Regina walked towards him, her heels clicking on the old wooden floor. "I need a forgetting potion."
He raised his eyebrows slightly. "And you need me because…"
Regina glared at him. "Because I do."
He laughed quietly. "You're running out of magic, aren't you?"
"I am not," she replied hotly. A minute passed with silence between them. "I'm running out of ingredients," Regina admitted in a quiet voice.
"Aha! There's the answer I was looking for. Well, as you know, all magic comes with a price."
"I know, I know. What do you want?"
"What I want," he paused and smirked at Regina, "is to know what you need a forgetting potion for in this perfect little life of yours."
"Stop it. I'll give you whatever you want: gold, money." She flashed him a smile. "What about a new house?"
Rumple slipped his gloves back on and began working on the clock again. "My deal stands, Regina. You can take it or leave it."
Regina discreetly kicked the floor with her shoe in frustration. She could make something up, but she knew Rumple would see right through that. If he saw she was lying, he might not give her the potion no matter what he said.
When she thought about it, she realized it came down to one thing: She could have either Emma or Rumplestiltskin know, but not neither of them.
"Fine, but I'd like to make an addition to the deal."
Rumple looked up and nodded his head once, allowing her to continue.
"You can't ever tell another soul about this."
"Deal." He reached behind the counter, pulled out a long, narrow flask filled with a green liquid, and held it out to Regina. Regina reached for it but Rumple pulled his hand back. "You first."
Regina gritted her teeth and lowered her voice. "I need to make Emma forget something she read in my diary." She lunged for the potion but Rumple pulled it back again.
"Tell me what was in the diary."
Regina opened her mouth in protest. "I told you why I needed it, that's all you asked for."
Rumple thought for a moment before smiling and and holding it out to her. She snatched it away and stormed off. "Don't worry, dearie. I'll find out one way or another. You can't keep a secret in this town for long," he said before she slammed the door shut.
Outside, Regina shivered against the cold autumn wind. She wrapped her hands tightly around the potion and closed her eyes, concentrating on what she wanted Emma to forget. There was a brief flash and a tingling feeling in her hands and she opened her eyes. Satisfied that the color had changed to blue, she walked home, feeling better than she had before. Tonight, she would invite Emma over, they would drink tea, and she would forget everything.