Chapter Four: A White Feather

AN: I apologize for the wait, I am currently in the hospital and HIGHLY drugged so if any of this sounds...weird, I am so sorry! I am just trying to write all of this down and get everything back on track. Thank you for understanding!

And thank you for all of the awesome reviews and messages! It helps me a lot! Anyway, please review! And ENJOY!

Emma ran through her room and into the main hallway, holding the letter in her hand. Her mind trying to process all of what is going on.

"No! No! No! No!" She kept telling herself. Regina is being forced to marry a prince. Leopold of all the damn prince's in the world, he had to be the one. She knew how he would stare up and down at Emma when he first met her and her parents ball; thankfully, her father stepped in and removed him from her sight. He saw how he was trying to bed his daughter and undressing her with his eyes.

Emma ran down the stairs but accidentally bumped into her father. He stumbled back a little but still had a smile on his face.

"Daddy!" Emma said with her hands out in case he fell forward. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

David chuckled and held her shoulders, "Why are you such a rush, Em?"

Emma looked around, trying to find a way to escape then her mother walked behind David. "David, what is-" Snow saw the look on her daughter's face. "Emma, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, Mama. I...want to go riding." Snow gave her husband what ever she was holding. "Well, let me accompany you. It is a nice day outside."

"No!" Emma said more loudly than what she meant. Snow and David looked at each other oddly then at their daughter.

"Baby," Snow says softly. "What is going on." Emma saw the concerned look in her parents eyes and slowly gave her mother the letter for her to read.

Snow looked at it and made a face. "Dear Emma," she read out loud, "I have no time left in this world... My parents are selling me to a prince and marry him. His name is Leopold. He comes from a far kingdom and he is heir to the throne. He comes for me tomorrow when the sun rises, he shall claim me as his bride and he is vile and looks at me like he is planning a way to end me. My love," Snow stopped for a second and looked at David who was still reading the letter silently, "I don't want any of this! You made my life worth living, you made me forget about all of the hideous things my mother has done to me. Please! Help Me, Emma! COME SAVE ME! If not, then I will run away and find my own path to freedom. I need you, Emma Swan White. Please. Love Regina."

David looked at his daughter then at his wife. Snow's face looked pale and sickly. Emma had no words to say to her parents so she tried to pass them only to be stopped by Snow.

"Mama?" Emma said with tears in her eyes. "Please, let me pass. I need to see her." Snow said nothing. Emma looked at her father.

"Daddy, please tell Mama how Leopold acted when he met me. I can't let that happen to Regina!" David looked at Snow silently but she shook her head.

"Emma," Snow began with a huff, "Baby, you can't go." Emma looked at her mother as if her words squeezed her heart.

"What?"

"You remember how I told you about Cora. She is evil and you mustn't go near her." Snow said as she stepped closer to her daughter. Emma stepped back and shook her head with pain. Her eyes scratched with worry. She turned on her heel and ran towards her room.

"Emma!" She heard her mother call.

"Emma!" Her father called too. But she just needed to be out of there.

As she came to her room, she slammed the door shut and grabbed her chair and locked it under the knob. She stepped back and scaned at the locked door with sorrow. She felt her life being taken away by storm. She turned around and stood on her balcony. She looked at the sun setting and all the colors blurred together, creating an art. Her eyes, crying in agony and she held in her screams. Emma turned around and grabbed all of her sheets and tied them together, creating a rope.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Dearie?" A squeaking, dark voice said behind her.

Emma quickly turned to the new voice and saw a man with green, scaley skin with big green eyes. He was wearing tight black leather jeans and a crocodile jacket. Emma was astounded that a small, short man could look that way.

"What are you." Emma asked trying not to be unkindly.

The small weird man giggled with made Emma want to laugh. "Not a what, Dearie. A who. I am Rumplestiltskin." He rolled his R and bowed with his left arm out, his right on his chest and his right leg over his left leg. His long hair smelt of pine and dirt which made Emma wince.

"Rumple...steel...chin..." She said slowly. She bared his teeth and put his index finger and thumb together.

"Uh, just call me Rumple if you must." Emma nodded.

"I am Princess-"

"I know who you are, Dearie." She closed her mouth. "And I know what you are about to do." Emma looked at her hands and saw the tied bedsheets. She dropped them quickly and put her hands behind her back. He giggled again.

"How did you get in here?" He smiled and walked around her room poking at things, messing with her bed and found a strand of blonde hair on her pillow and picked it up and placed it in a vile.

"It doesn't matter how I got here," He said while looking at the vile. He waved his hand over it and it started to glow bright yellow. Emma stared at him. "What matters is how your going to get to...Regina." Rumple turned around and the vile disappeared in black smoke. Emma's eyes grew and she stepped back.

"How do you know that." He stepped closer to her.

"I have my ways, Dearie." Emma smiled at his comment and opened her mouth. "Ah!" He held up a finger and her voice vanished. She tried to speak but nothing came out. "Not before your payment." She raised an eyebrow.

"You have to pay to get something." She raised both arms to the side with his fingers spread part and one arm higher than the other. "All magic comes with a price." She tried to speak but still no voice so she just leaned her head to the side.

He huffed. "Regina Raven Mills will be gone before the sun sets tomorrow. I can take you to her before she leaves But.." He looked in her blue green eyes. "Only with the right price." She nodded and headed toward her locked chest that was filled with gold. He giggled.

"No, Dearie. Not with that." He looked around the room. "Ill take..." He saw a white feathered quill on her desk and smiled. "Ill take your quill." She looked at her desk and grabbed it.

It doesn't mean anything, she thought to herself. I'm pretty sure I can get a new one. She handed him the quill and it disappeared in the black smoke in her hands.

Rumple smiled widely and bowed like before. I will return to you before then. He turned around but stopped and looked at Emma. "Tell your parents that you want nothing to do with Regina." She tried to speak so he snapped his fingers and she yelled.

"Why the hell would I do that?" He scrunched his nose.

"I like you better when you aren't talking." She rolled her eyes. "Tell them and make them think that you don't want to talk to her anymore and they will stop bugging you. After that, I will be back and take you to her." She nodded quickly.

Emma removed her chair from the table and undid her sheets and returned them. She waited for her parents to come in and check on her and when they did, she made them think she hate Regina now so they left her alone.

Just like the crocodile man said, he came for her after a while and took her to Regina.

They arrived in front of the stables and a woman, older than Regina, walked out with pride. Rumple looked at Emma.

"Regina is in there, alone. You may see her now." He smiled wickedly and disappeared. Emma didn't care as long as she could be in Regina's arms soon.