I do not own Once Upon a Time. Oh! I borrowed some Disney's sentences but sadly I do not own Disney.

As Mr. Gold / Rumple is one of my favourites Tv characters... it had to be in my fic too.

Chapter 03: The Sea Witch


)()()()( Storybrook)()()()(

Emma knocked at Gold's door; she was going to get the antidote beating Mr Gold to death if necessary. But it was Neal who opened the door.

"Emma…" He was making his calm down face.

"Where's Gold?" Cut Emma, and Neal raised an eyebrow. Emma blinked twice, it was late now, and she didn't expected Neal to be here. She tried to go into the house, feeling her anger grow when he didn't let her in.

"Emma calm down."

Mr. Gold appeared from behind and rested his weight on his cane, a smile appeared in his face, if the cold gesture could be called smile, as if he already expected her coming.

"Mr. Gold we need to talk!" Mr. Gold raised a hand.

"Dr. Whale phoned me, I know you think I poisoned Hook, but I can assure you dearie…" he lend forwards pushing Neal from his way to face Emma, stopping just a few inches from her, a strange grin in his face. Emma guessed that was his famous Rumpelstiltskin's face "…that if I wanted to kill him, he would be dead right now…" he tilted his head in a frightening way. Emma nearly took a step backwards, but she was too angry "…and if you dare to ask for my help, even a deal; I tell you, you will get NONE." And then he slammed the door in her face with a giggle.

Emma stared at the closed door just a few seconds. Then hurried into her bug; she had seen truth in Rumpelstiltskin's eyes, so she didn't know who could have poisoned Hook. Maybe Dr. Whale was right, he was just delirious or had other enemies. Emma was driving to the hospital trying to figure out a way to heal Hook. Maybe there was no antidote. But she could think of nothing but sitting next to him and wait. Maybe the kiss had worked and he was being a pain in the ass to the nurses now.

The hospital was virtually deserted. Apart from the receptionist and the guard on the night shift Emma saw no one. Until she turned a corner to bump into the dark-haired nurse who had attended Hook few hours earlier.

"I'm sorry" The nurse smiled. "Is he recovering?" The nurse looked at her feet, and then shook her head. Emma remembered then that this nurse had proposed to take Hook's blood samples to Boston. "Excuse me; do you remember that you proposed to Dr. Whale to take the blood samples..." The nurse nodded looking at her with her big baby blue eyes "It would be still… yet possible?" She nodded again and gestured Emma to follow her.

They went down a couple of flights of stairs to what looked like the basement. There, behind a door, on which hung the sign "no entry to non-authorized personnel", was small laboratory. Apparently the Hospital had only four old analysis machines, a couple of fridges, two microscopes, a table with what looked like a child laboratory, a computer and a printer.

The nurse crouched and took a small cooler box from a closet. Then took three blood samples from within one of the fridges and placed them in the cooler box. Then she sat down at the desk and turned on the computer screen. In it appeared an article that about the recruitment of a famous Russian doctor on the General Hospital in Boston. Emma read it: "The young talent has two medic specialties, hematology and clinical analysis. Урсула Морева is known in Asia for her discovery of the antidote to the poison of the fugu fish. In Europe she's also known for the valuable help she provided last year after the mass poisoning case due to toxic water discharge in the river Volga…"

The article went on listing the findings and investigations that the woman had been doing the past ten years. Emma thought that maybe that woman was her only solution "or it's a waste of time". She could call Blue in the morning and ask for her advice, it was what Mary Margaret always did. Emma frowned.

"I know it's an odd question, but do you think that doctor can help us?" The nurse stood up and nodded, by her face Emma could tell she was pretty sure. "It's no usual poison, Hook… I mean Mr. Jones said it's magic poison." Emma waited for her response, but the nurse gave her a stack of papers. And then after writing something handed her a final paper on which was written: "If she can't heal him, no one can, I'm completely sure your trip won't be in vain. You must go to the General Hospital in Boston, submit the documentation that I have given you now and ask to speak with the Dr. Морева. Do NOT give samples to anyone else. Good luck."

"Thanks"

Emma returned to the car and set off without a second thought, she need to keep moving. Boston was four hours away. She decided to put on the radio to avoid any thoughts. The last thing she needed was her imaginary parents arguing in her mind or she thinking in the kiss. "I must forget it". Emma drove as fast as he could, despite it surely the four hours would became five.

During the breakfast Snow was forced to explain every little detail about all the poisoned Hook issue to Henry. She had expected that her husband or her Emma had returned home before the school time. But time was close and she knew nothing of neither of them. Charming had answered the call, but he said that Emma was not in the hospital. Despite her many attempts to communicate with her daughter, Snow had not succeeded. At last Snow had decided to make a visit to pawnshop with Henry. Rumpelstiltskin and his son were in there, so Henry enjoyed a little talking with his father while she spoke to .

Mr. Gold said that he had spoken with Emma past midnight, about three in the morning. Also he made clear that he hadn't poisoned the pirate, he preferred Hook to continue living his pitiful existence.

It was school day and Henry and she went to school at their usual time. Snow waited until the mid-morning playtime to play a visit to her husband, so she could leave Henry at school. First of all Snow hurried towards Granny's to pick some tea to go.

"I thought you'd come earlier." Red said sadly. "If I knew you were going to wait until playtime, I would have gone to bring Charming and Whale something to eat earlier."

"How do you know Charming's at the hospital?" Snow asked surprised when Ruby placed two little cardboard boxes in front of her.

"Dr. Whale phone me early this morning, he just wanted tea and a cupcake" Snow could swear Red was hiding something. "… you know, hospital coffee is disgusting, and vending machine food is even worse. So I told him you could carry his breakfast too." Red came out from behind the counter and took off his apron "I'll go with you. GRANNY! I'm out to delivery! I'm back in half an hour!"

Snow took her friend's arm with a big smile and prepared herself for the battle.

"Lately Whale calls you very often, do him?"


|^|_Boston_|^|

When she reached the city Emma found the typical morning car jam. She was pissed, nervous and worried; Hook was gravely ill when she left. "I'm doing this for nothing." She should have stayed with him. The sheriff pushed that thought away and entered the Hospital, carrying the cooler in one hand and in the other the documents. At first no one seemed to be able to help her, showing her badge and saying the words "on official sheriff business" changed the general mood and everyone helped her willingly. Apparently Dr. Морева wasn't in the Hospital yet. She would have to wait a couple of hours. So Emma went to the cafeteria. She had not slept in all night; she needed a good strong coffee.


)()()()(Storybrook)()()()(

Snow opened the door and glanced in. Charming was sleeping in a chair near the bed, with his sword on his knees, and resting his head on a pillow on the wall, snoring noisily. In the bed, the pirate moved his head from side to side like a small lizard, with his mouth open, breathing fast but lightly, covered in sweat. He was in pain but his eyes were closed. Snow coughed and his husband sat up straight, his hand flew to the hilt of the sword ready to strike. A wide smile appeared in his face as he saw Snow in the doorway.

"Where's Emma?"

"Don't know, she doesn't answer the calls"

"Have you spoken to Rump… Gold?"

"Yep, Gold says he's innocent, he saw Emma this early morning, he seems the last one to speak with her" Charming looked worried. His eyes went from the pirate to Snow. She tried to calm down her husband. "I'm sure she is okay, I've brought breakfast for you."

"Can you watch the pirate one moment?"

"Sure."

Charming kissed Snow and leaved, closing the door behind him.

Hook had fainted and now seemed quite calm. She had no doubt Emma liked the pirate, and that thought was gnawing her mind, he was so evil and dangerous for her little girl. "I wish Hook had never found a way to get to this land. If only he died."

Mary Margaret picked up the pillow that Charming had been using, and placed it on Hooks face, both of her hands pressing it against him as hard as she could. A memory slashed into Snow's mind: a pirate figurine near Emma's crib. And then she realized what she was doing. She threw the pillow aside. Hook gasped for dear air, but didn't wake up. Snow took a step backwards just as Charming entered the room looking worried. Complaining about no one knowing where Emma was.

Snow put on his best mask of innocence and gave her husband a quick kiss. She returned to school, where she gave her children some craft tasks they could manage by themselves, allowing her to leave them alone for an hour. Time she devoted to mourn in the bathroom, crying and sobbing, trying to find a way to tell Charming that she had made a murder attempt.


|^|_Boston_|^|

It was not until noon that a young nurse appeared looking for Emma. Dr. Морева had arrived and was waiting Emma at her lab. The lab was big and spotless, full of machines and computers, like something out of a science fiction movie. Emma stood at the doorway, staring at the doctor's back. She was very young, tall and slim; her hair was dark brown and was tied up in a messy bun. Despite the doctor wore black pumps a black skirt and a white lab coat, Emma thought she seemed more an ad actress than a doctor. The women turned around smiling, her smile was too big for her face, but despite it she was beautiful. Her big brown eyes scanned Emma from top to bottom and for Emma's surprise the doctor smile grew wider.

"Come in. Come in, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways it's rrude." Emma walked into the room "One might question your upbringing." The young women walked towards Emma in a too much feminine way and offered her hand and a big smile "I'm Dr. Moreva I am told that you have come on official business." Emma blinked twice; her voice was so wonderful that she was almost paralyzed.

"Yes, I'm sheriff Swan." Emma hesitated, but shook hands with her. That woman awoke a feeling of distrust inside Emma. Despite her beautiful face and her melodious voice, she had something disturbing in her, her smile.

"Let's sit down, sweet, now you're going to explain me everything about that man of yours, the poisoned one" Emma decided that the women could not be trusted, she smiled too much, and lied? How could someone lie just asking a simple question? "Oh god! I need to sleep." Emma shook her head and focused in the question.

The doctor listened patiently to the explanations of the sheriff, interrupting her now and then to ask for more specific information, grinning and wincing. After listening carefully to Emma the doctor took the samples, opened one of them and sniffed. Emma raised an eyebrow; this was the last think she expected. The doctor stood up and turned away from Emma.

"Will you wait outside, little child?" Asked her in singsong voice. "I need to analyze it."

"Do you think there's some hope, will you find a cure?"

"Indeed" Said the women.

Emma leaved the lab and sat on an uncomfortable bench in the hallway. Emma rested her head on the wall, and decided to browse the papers in order to keep her thoughts from more disturbing pathways. The papers consisted of documents and certificates. While in some specified who she was, in the others were general data about Hook. Weight, age, height, profession... Emma smiled at that point. "So you're officially a sailor not a captain." There was a medical report of his stay in the hospital after the car accident. When at last she got bored of reading medical nonsense, she picked up the phone to call David but her phone was dead. Mary Margaret and David would be searching for her like madmen. She signed and rested her head in the wall again, she was about to fall sleep on the bench. Emma checked the clock, three in the afternoon.


~~~~Long time ago in a big port city of the Enchanted Forest~~~~

Sinbad feel something wrong, very wrong, he felt it in the air, it was... well, salty, more than usual. He could not sleep. And then he heard noises, and some muttered gasps. He wake up and took his sword ready to strike, but what he sow just outside his room, in the inner courtyard was too much for him to understand. He saw men, pirates carrying around his own goods, filling the oil vases with gold, diamonds and less valuable stuff, not just a couple of pirates, an entire crew. He just stood paralyzed in shock. Sinbad felt a sword pressing his back. He dropped his sword, and the man at his back pushed it aside with his boot. And then he faced him.

"Sinbad?" He could not understand what on earth the lad was doing here with those scums.

"My name's Killian, Killian Jones, Captain Jones to ye now."

"I can't understand..." Then Sinbad realized that the boy had tricked him. "You, scallywag! Damn lad! It was all a plot to plunder me!" He tried to took the lad cutlass, but he was too slow and the boy too fast. There was no innocence in those blue eyes any more, just cold fire. "Bloody boy" thought Sinbad when the lad pressed the cutlass into his throat and rose an eyebrow as a warning.

A man approached, the same tall man that has been with the lad a week ago.

"We can't find it Captain. The bloody hell seashell isn't there"

"He will tell us, will you" The grin was horrible in his handsome and young face. "Where's the Sea Witch pendant?"

"Why are you doing this?" He felt he sword cutting his flesh "My wife wears it, don't hurt her please."

The tall man entered the room thought the curtains and a minute later throw a bloody silver chain and seashell into his Captain hands.

"I cut her throat, easier that way" Said the man with a crooked smile. Then he cleaned the sable on Sinbad's pants, cutting fabric and flesh, but he felt nothing, his body was numb.

"Perfect, we have enough gold now" The boy raised his voice, not shouting but making his voice heard. "Let's leave one by one, smartly there men, to the port, don't be caught"

The pirates started leaving as if they were rats getting away from an especially smart cat. They climbed the walls; ran across rooftops and disappeared into the darkness. In five minutes just Jones and Sinbad were left.

"I'm sorry mate, but ye should have seen the fire in the hole." He didn't answer, trying to struggle while the lad tied his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry for your wife, really mate." Sinbad was going to kill him; the lad crouched at his side. "As ye said I'm handsome. I'm too handsome, too much for my wellbeing, I had no choose, no parents, no family, no choose at last, being an asshole as I'm, a bloody bastard, a thief, a killer or ... the bed toy of the old Captain" Sinbad refused to look at him, there was no reason for him to fell pity, he had killed his wife. "I'm afraid matey…" why did he keep talking? Why this mad lad had not killed him yet? "...that I enjoyed too much ye story's, maybe there's a child inside me somewhere." He looked at the boy "At last, ye look at me. I'm really sorry; I didn't want to hurt you or your wife. But I had no choice."

"Y will hunt you and kill you."

He saw how the pirate rolled his eyes, stood up and jump on the cart. Sinbad laid helpless on the floor while he listened the door open and the cart moving away.

"By the way, the Sea Witch sends her love." said Jones in a tired sad tone as he leaved.

So that was all, a Sea Witch's plot. And then he collapsed and cried, during hours no one entered or left the house, no one get up despite his shouting, not his brother, his sons, his lovely daughters... his wife...

The next morning a neighbor found him in the floor, hoarse from screaming. Together they found his wife dead body, lying in the bed, as well as the rest of his family and servants. He could not feel pain just anger; it was too much, so much. No wife, no child, no family. He will hunt Jones and his mistress and will punish them giving them no quarter. Death was not enough.

"Master" A deep voice said sadly in his back.

"Prepare the Jolly Roger we are sailing today"

"Master" Said the voice again a little louder "the ship is gone."


|^|_Boston, 4pm_|^|

The lab door flew open, Emma stood up impatient, she had spent two hours out there waiting, and every time she dozed off someone crossed the corridor waking her up.

"Well sheriff Swan, your man has been poisoned."

"Can you produce some antidote?"

The women shifted her hands flippantly. "Creating potions, antidotes ... Huh! It's a talent that I always have possessed." She gave a side smile to Emma. "But now darling, I must warn you, I'm afraid I have to see your man in order to make the antidote."

Emma knew it was impossible to move Hook to Boston. But the fact of taking a stranger to Storybrook troubled Emma. Surely the answer took too long to arrive, when Dr. Moreva continued.

"My sweet child, do not be embarrassed to ask. It would be a nasty if I didn't agree to go with you." When she said the word nasty she wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I will take you to Storybrook. And HE is not my man." The women smiled at her and tilted her head in an odd way. Approached her and sniffed, as she had done with the blood sample. And then the odd doctor laughed.

"Indeed" Emma frowned at the women's words. "I must pick up some things at home first. If you have a car you can drive me home." She turned around and grabbed a briefcase. "Let's go sweetcakes."

"Please" Emma tried to be polite, but she preferred to be called by her name, not by affectionate nicknames. "Call me Sheriff Swan, or Swan. No pet names" The woman pulled out a lipstick from the pocket of her a lab coat. She painted her lips of fresh blood color, took off his lab coat and smiled at Emma.

"Swan… you can call me Ursula." Then she walked away down the corridor swiveling her hips from side-to-side. "Hurry up sweet child; I'm dying to see your man."


Урсула Морева is Ursula Sea in you are wondering why Emma didn't react at Ursula's name I must say I've met two real life Ursulas in the last four years, non of them a witch, so the name is not that uncommon.

Since Ursula is my favorite Disney villain I had to bring her to life. And of course she had to be connected with Hook, there were mermaids at Neverland, weren't they? I will develop some sea related tales to give Hook a past. Let me know if you like it. I will develop here some of my own thoughts about his life in Neverland too.

Next chapter title is Deals... who will make a deal dearies?

Please review!