What Was Lost: Part 4
By Arianwen P.F. Everett
"You're no longer a Queen, Snow White. Until we all go back to our realm, you're still just a school teacher, the same way my sister and I are just two nurses' aides. Breaking the curse didn't return our home and our land, nor did it return your kingdom, so quit trying to claim your royal station because in this world royals are just figureheads. When we found the pendant and the other jewelry we thought we'd finally caught a break. We didn't see why we should have to give up our good fortune and go back to the poverty we were cursed with," Anna shot back at the brunette on the other side of the jail bars.
"Because that jewelry was stolen. Because it was part of a police investigation," Emma rebutted, rolling her eyes at the two women she'd arrested.
"We didn't steal it. We found the jewelry while walking in the woods. Yes, we knew of the investigation, but everyone knows the Hatter took the kid and could be in any of a hundred different realms by now. Your investigation is an exercise in futility, Sheriff Swan. That's why you removed the police tape, the day BEFORE we found the jewelry," Drew shot back. It was supremely unfair that Sheriff Swan was trying to frame them for theft when they merely found treasure in the woods. They might have suspected the jewelry was stolen, as nobody but a thief trying to avoid getting caught with the evidence would dump expensive pieces in the woods, but they, Anna and Drew Schwester, hadn't known or cared where the windfall had come from and they certainly hadn't robbed anybody.
"So you're saying that you didn't get that pendant from Regina. You merely discovered it in the woods near where Jefferson… the Hatter left his hat?" Emma asked, believing the two women but trying to sound incredulous in order to make them divulge everything in order to prove their innocence.
"The Queen, the Evil Queen! That was HER pendant?" Drew squawked in fear. Their found treasure had belonged to the Evil Queen! Now they would never have a chance at a happy ending. They were as good as dead, and only if they were lucky.
"No, it was mine. She stole it from me. It was a magical heirloom," Snow explained sadly, earning a silencing look from her daughter.
"That thing was magical? If we'd have known we would have dumped it into the well with the ring," Anna responded, then quickly shut her mouth as she had divulged the fact that they'd dumped one of the jewelry pieces, albeit a valueless one.
"What ring?" Emma asked, having caught the stupid woman's mistake.
"Originally there was a ring as part of the collection we found. It was worthless, brass, but it was enchanted. It had a man's face inside it, a very handsome man's face. Anyway, when we realized it had magic, we threw it into the well, sent it back to Lake Nostos. We didn't want anything to do with magic and we figured if it held sentimental value the lake would return it to the original owner. We had no idea the other stuff had magic else we would have sent it down the well too," Drew clarified, shooting daggers at her sister.
"I think I'm getting it now. The items were the magic the Queen sacrificed in order to create the apple turnover young Henry ate. That woman is nothing if not resourceful," Rumplestiltskin commented as he entered the station, knowing Emma would be unable to resist that opening.
"What are you doing here? And what do you mean 'create the apple turnover'? I thought she used her magic to do it," Emma asked, staring Rumplestiltskin straight in the eyes. She still had her superpower, after all. Just let him try to lie.
"I thought I'd come see how your investigation was going, see if I could help. As for the Queen's magic, she was able to shield a few magical items, those in that bag on your desk, from loosing their mystical properties, but she couldn't prevent her own magic from being lost when we got here. She told me that she used the last of her magic to acquire her cursed apple. I believe that she leeched the magic out of those items to do it. Then when magic was brought into this realm, it replenished their magic," Rumplestiltskin replied, smirking in the superiority of his knowledge. He had played this game for well over a century. He was its master as Regina would soon find out once Emma captured her.
"But why dump the jewelry in the woods? It's still valuable even without magic; why not keep it?" Snow asked, grateful that her family pendant was safe but curious as to why she'd been so fortunate.
Emma pondered the question then picked up the evidence bag with the jewelry inside. She stared at the metal and gemstones, trying to understand the connections here. She didn't know enough about magic, and unfortunately the best help she could get in that department was Rumplestiltskin. Grabbing a pair of rubber gloves and an evidence tray from a cabinet, Emma lined up the jewelry and motioned for Gold to come over to examine the pieces. "Against my better judgment, I'm going to allow you to examine the jewelry. Attempt to take anything and I'll shoot first, ask questions later. Got it?"
"I understand," Rumplestiltskin answered with a smirk, before moving towards the tray.
"Put on gloves first… fingerprints," Emma clarified, then watched Gold snap on a second pair of gloves before picking up the broach. Carefully he examined each piece, and then put it back. Once he finished with the Pendant, he turned back towards Emma and Snow.
"Well, they're all definitely from our realm, and they're each magical. Beyond that, I don't see any connection. I'm sorry," Rumplestiltskin sighed. He had hoped that the jewelry would have given them some clues as to the Queens whereabouts, but from what he could tell these were merely trinkets and totems. He was surprised the lot combined could have given Regina enough power to curse an apple.
"Say it," Emma ordered, having seen an indefinable look other than defeat briefly cross the man's features.
"Say what? I told you…"
"You don't see a connection, I get that, but something crossed your mind as you were putting down that last piece. Whatever it was, even if it was just a stray observation, say it," Emma demanded. It didn't matter if it was cogent. Often ideas didn't come in solid form. A slight irregularity that seemed meaningless could eventually lead to the answer.
"I was just thinking that none of these items, even in combination, could have given the Queen enough magic to pull off the sleeping curse. Even in our world, where magic is abundant, it was a complicated spell," Rumplestiltskin explained.
"So what kind of magic could these items produce if combined?" Emma asked.
"Thousands upon thousands of smaller spells and curses could come out of what's here, but not the sleeping curse or any other spell approaching its magnitude," Rumplestiltskin insisted. Emma's question was a foolish one and he needed to make her understand why. Asking which particular spell this amount of magic could produce was like handing someone a potato and asking them to name the dish the chef was going to turn it into without revealing any other ingredient or the means of preparation.
"So you're saying you've hit a dead end?" Emma challenged, effectively calling the man's ego into play. Her previous dealings with him had taught her that the most frustrating thing for him was to be without an answer. It was a matter of pride.
"I'm saying nothing in this tray is useful. The ladies in that cell, mentioned a brass ring, perhaps you should concentrate your investigation in that direction," Rumplestiltskin rebutted, refusing to be drawn in the way he knew Emma Swan intended.
"Perhaps I should. Thank you, Mr. Gold, for assisting us. I'll see you tomorrow when Miss French comes in to give her statement," Emma stated formally. She had promised Snow to be professional and she would keep that promise to the bitter end.
"Good evening, Ladies," Rumplestiltskin nodded to each woman, before turning to leave.
"I hate to admit it, but I'm gonna have to requisition some dredging equipment to get that ring. This could take days," Emma sighed as she rebagged the jewelry.
"Well, that will give us more time to get through these files," Snow stated cheerily, hoping to lift her overworked daughter's spirits.
"Oh Joy," Emma quipped before moving to the coffee machine to brew a new pot. However, before she could get to the machine, Snow yelped and dropped the new file she'd just opened. Seeing her mother's shocked face and trembling form, Emma raced back to her side, as she tentatively reached for the folder she'd dropped.
"What's wrong? Snow? Mom?" Emma stated, worry written all over her face.
As if not hearing her child, Snow White closed her eyes and reopened the folder. When she looked, she knew her eyes hadn't been playing tricks on her and a sense of wonder overtook her. "I can't believe this. How?
"What's wrong? Who is he? Do you know this guy?" Emma asked, realizing it was the face in the glossy that had spooked her mother.
Snow took several steadying breaths to calm herself enough to speak. If what she was seeing was real, the implications could be dire. She had to regain the power of speech. "I did. I mean, I only met him once. When I was about Henry's age. His name… his name was… Daniel."