Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 14, Chapter 10

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Regina was not a happy person. She stormed into the Sheriff's station in a huff. Emma saw her and tried assure the mayor that she had already called out the power company to deal with the blackout.

"That's not why I'm here," Regina answered. "My friend Kathryn Nolan has been missing for twenty four hours. Now what are you going to do about it."

"I've got some evidence, but I'm not sure what to make of it yet," Emma replied.

Regina wanted to see it, however, since it was an ongoing investigation and still early in the proceedings Emma declined. Mayor Mills disliked being told no and threatened Emma as she so often did. "Sheriff Swan if you are covering for someone or not doing your job properly then I will find someone who will."

That was the end of the conversation as Mayor Mills turned on her heels and walked out. Emma didn't like being threatened, least of all by Regina, but in this case she had to do something. The mayor had the authority to call for a special election and replace Swan as the sheriff. With no choice in the matter she decided to act on what was available to her.

~O~

Mary Margaret positioned a "sold out" sign at her booth. She doused the flame on her own candle and prepared to leave the festival. Despite all the good she had done, Ms. Blanchard was certain no one wanted her around. As she walked by several booths Granny pulled her aside. Without saying a word the restaurant owner tipped her candle and lit Ms. Blanchard's. In that simple action Mary Margaret was symbolically embraced by the community again. Surprised but relieved she proceeded to her vehicle.

Although David had tried to wash off the paint, the word "TRAMP" was still very visible on her windows. She was no longer a tramp and Mary Margaret chose to leave the Jeep Wagoneer for the morning and instead began her walk home, taking in what remained of the festival as she did.

She was feeling better about herself. People were now smiling at her.

"That was a nice thing you did for the nuns," Claire told her. "I apologize for not offering to help when you need it most."

"I don't blame you," Ms. Blanchard replied. "I don't think you could have helped matters." Mary Margaret looked directly at Valerie and smiled. Without a single word she thanked the girl for her efforts earlier that day.

Mary Margaret continued on. She looked down the street and was taken by surprise when she saw Sheriff Swan talking to David Nolan. Moments later she put him into the back of her police cruiser and drove off. Even from this distance Ms. Blanchard could tell that David looked worried. The schoolteacher began to wonder if David was now a suspect in his wife's disappearance.

~O~

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (The Edwardian Era)

It had been a few seasons since Tinker Bell ran away from Pixie Hollow to be with Peter Pan. Periwinkle cried nearly every night for almost a month before finally being able to pull herself together. It took time but she was able to get back to her work as a frost fairy. Her friends noticed, though, that her quality wasn't up to its usual standards and Periwinkle often began conversations with "What do you think Tinker Bell is doing right now?" or some variant thereof. Every year, on the anniversary of discovering each other, Periwinkle would remain home and cry all day and night. It was clear that no matter what, she would never be able to fully recover from Tink running off.

~O~

Today the Four Seasons Festival was underway and Periwinkle was among the performers for the winter fairies. She managed to complete her routine without incident though it was hardly flawless. Spike and Gliss had hoped that engaging in the Festival would take her mind off of her sister, but they had very limited success.

"I hope she doesn't foul up in the grand finale," Vidia groused.

"She got through the winter performance just fine," Spike answered her.

"Yeah, but it could have been better," the fast flyer answered.

"And it could have been worse. Periwinkle won't let us down," Spike reassured her. "She never has before."

"That's because Tinker Bell was always here before," Vidia pointed out. "That little traitor is gone and Periwinkle is a mess. Just like our performance will be if she decides to start blubbering again."

"Hey, you worry about your own and we'll worry about ours," Spike barked. "If you would prefer to go back to your little house on the ledge and hide, be our guest." Spike and Vidia shared similar personalities and had at one time become fast friends. They were often seen together tossing snippy remarks to unsuspecting targets or engaging in friendly one-upmanship. After Tinker Bell ran away from home Vidia took it to mean that "friendship" meant nothing and her association with Spike promptly dissolved.

"ENOUGH!" Iridessa yelled to get them under control. "We have a job to do and we will do it right. Now like it or not we're in this together. Got it?"

Spike agreed. Vidia just sneered, but didn't offer any other kind of protest.

As the celebration wound down the evening sky turned from blue to yellow and then orange. The time was nearing six o'clock when the last of the guilds completed the final regular number.

"Okay, our turn," Iridessa shouted to her friends. "Let's get our equipment on stage as fast as possible."

In Tinker Bell's absence Iridessa became the de facto group leader. Rosetta tried it, but was too hotheaded most of the time and often worried more about her hair than anything else. Fawn gave it a try, but while she could resolve squabbles between the furry critters she cared for, dealing with fairies was another matter. She was clearly out of her depth.

Silvermist stepped forward but she could never set long term goals, manufacture a worthwhile vision or make up her mind beyond the here and now. Vidia wasn't even considered for the role. She had reverted to her earlier, reclusive self and refused to become involved in anything except at the queen's direct request. That left Iridessa. The light talent found that while she was up to the task, it didn't come nearly as easily to her as it did for Tinker Bell. Dessa continued to play the role of leader even though exasperation and frustration were her constant companions.

To help her, Iridessa began by making what most saw as the worst decision possible. She made Silvermist her project manager. Sil would be responsible for making schedules, managing resources and overseeing projects. The others waited for poor Silvermist to crash and burn. However Silvermist proved herself to be efficient at delegating tasks to others in a way that actually made sense. Even Vidia was dumbstruck.

"Close your mouth Vidia or a bug will fly in," Dessa once told the flyer.

Silvermist chalked it up to her training as a water fairy. She related aspects of project management to how she managed the day to day routines of her talent. But what proved to be even more shocking was how good she was at counseling others in conflict resolution, a talent Terence had seen several years before when Tinker Bell was tasked with making the Fall Scepter.

Silvermist chimed in and offered some of her homespun wisdom. "Spike, Vidia. We all miss Tinker Bell. We shouldn't convict Periwinkle because she has trouble letting go. Tinker Bell leaving has left a giant hole in each of our hearts that none of us can easily ignore. That pain has changed all of us, but it's worse for Periwinkle. She is Tink's sister and that emptiness in her heart is more painful than anything we can fathom. So let's go easy on her, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Spike mumbled.

"Whatever helps you get through the day, Sil," was Vidia's snarky response. "But as far as I'm concerned, Periwinkle needs to get over herself."

~O~

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

The drive home from the Miner's Day Festival was a bit more treacherous than usual. With the transformer damaged the entire town was without power and that included the street lamps. Claire drove the work truck home while Hartley went his own way. Vidia brought home the minivan, but was accompanied by both Tina and Penny who seemed eager to have a little fun at Vidia's expense.

"Val, I don't ever remember you having a stuffed bear when you were growing up," Tina said harmlessly enough. "Was that before I was born?"

"Mr. Bear is from Pixie Hollow," Vidia answered truthfully. "I… used him as a decoration in my home."

Penny, hearing that, immediately joined into the conversation. "That was quite an emotional outburst for something that was just a decoration. Wait, were you sleeping with that bear?"

"NO!" Vidia hastily replied.

"O! M! G! She was sleeping with it," Penny observed, a big and silly grin across her face. "I bet you looked so cute with that little bear all tucked inside your arms while you slept."

Vidia rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so why didn't you just pay the twenty dollars?" Tina asked, giggling.

Vidia sighed. "It's a child's toy and I'm too old for one, that's why."

"Yeah, well you are twenty five," Tina said, seeming to agree with her.

"I'm a little bit older than that," Vidia corrected.

"So, how old are you again?" Penny asked.

"Four hundred and forty three," Vidia answered.

"Oh. Well, don't worry, sis," Tina answered with a smile, "you don't look a day over four hundred."

The two teens collapsed into fits of giggles and guffaws while Vidia just burned. She could have reacted to them, but figured once this curse was lifted they would remember and feel pretty stupid for how they acted tonight.

Tina stopped laughing long enough to assure Vidia that her secret was safe with them. Penny then piped up and said she had already added this tidbit of information to her Facebook page from her smartphone.

"What's a face book?" Vidia asked.

That question brought stares from both teens right before they burst into more peals of laughter and giggling. They were having so much fun at Valerie's expense. To Vidia it was like old times. Old times she would rather forget, but considering the here and now she was willing to take any shred of familiarity until the curse could be lifted and everyone was safely returned to Pixie Hollow.

~O~

THE PIRATE SHIP JOLLY ROGER (off the coast of Never Land, The Edwardian Era)

Captain Hook had done it. He was finally going to taste victory in his ongoing war with Peter Pan. Earlier, Peter brought with him what Hook dubbed as three brats from the mainland, a girl and two boys. These were the Darling children: Wendy, John and Michael. Tinker Bell became jealous that Wendy might steal away Peter and the pixie would be left alone all over again. Tink had embraced her life of fun and adventure and she wasn't about to let this little whelp take it away from her so she tried to kill the Wendy girl with the help of the Lost Boys. For this reason Pan banished the little pixie for a week.

Hook used that to his advantage. He had his boatswain Mr. Smee capture the fairy and tricked her into revealing Pan's hideout inside of Hangman's Tree. As a reward for her betrayal Tink was locked up inside of one of Hook's lanterns. James Hook, ship captain, pirate and all around nasty villain set a trap for Peter. After capturing the Darling children along with the Lost Boys Hook left Peter a time bomb dressed up as a present from Wendy. It had specific instructions for Pan not to open it until six o'clock, which was when the bomb was set to go off. This assured that Pan would be near the bomb when it detonated.

Hearing of Hook's plan to kill Peter, Tinker Bell knocked over her lantern prison and escaped, racing to Hangman's Tree to save Peter so he could rescue Wendy and the others. She got there just in time, but Peter, who was so stuck up on himself that he rarely listened to anyone, just shoved her away. With no alternative Tink knocked the bomb out of his hands and into a distant corner just one second before it went off.

~O~

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND

The Grand Finale of the Four Seasons Festival seemed to be going off without a hitch. Everyone was hitting their marks perfectly, even Periwinkle. She and her fellow frost fairies were pulling ice crystals into the air as part of the giant light show that was to close the festivities. The team, led by Spike, ascended to their positions by taking wide circles, passing the other fairies of the warm seasons who were flying in the opposite direction by only millimeters. It was a precision execution of precision choreography.

Until Periwinkle began to falter. Her wings suddenly glowed brightly and began to fade. She wilted despite the presence of snow falling from the snow maker.

"Peri, we're almost done. Hang on a little longer," Gliss said, trying to encourage her friend.

"I… I can't…" With that Periwinkle almost fainted and fell from the sky. The entire show-stopping routine abruptly ended and dissolved into chaos. Gasps came from the crowd as several other fairies grabbed hold of Periwinkle just before she crashed into the ice rink below.

"I knew she was going to do this," Vidia spat.

"Peri? Periwinkle, what's wrong?" Spike asked her.

"Tink. Tinker Bell… she's dying," Peri answered with labored breath. "I can feel it. We're both dying."

"What? What do you mean-."

KABOOOOOMM!

Suddenly the ground shook violently and the air was filled with the sound of deafening thunder. The Pixie Dust Tree rattled and fresh, green leaves fell in abundance. The flow of dust was briefly interrupted before it resumed, first as a trickle and then later at its former pace.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Someone shouted.

"What's going on? What's happening?" others began to howl.

"Stay calm everyone," Queen Clarion announced in a loud but steady voice. "We must not engage in idle speculation. The scouts are already dispatched to determine the cause. Now please, stay seated."

Both Clarion and Lord Milori descended to the arena floor to attend to the fallen frost fairy. Her face looked more pale than normal and the light of her fairy glow began to fade. A healing talent fairy was summoned. As Periwinkle's life continued to drain away her body was packed with ice to keep her as cold as possible. The attending physician tried every possible remedy she could whip up in the short time available to her. Not even the sprinkling of additional fairy dust could restore the dying fairy.

Rosetta, Iridessa, Fawn, Silvermist, Spike, Gliss, Sled and Slush all gathered around her waiting for the inevitable. They wept both for the impending death of Periwinkle, but also for the death of their one time friend Tinker Bell which Peri's condition foretold. Vidia, stayed away. She blamed this entirely on Tinker Bell repeating that it was all Tink's fault.

You did this to yourself, traitor fairy, she said, cursing Tinker Bell. You ran away and now you're paying for it. And so is your sister. I hope you're happy.

Despite her attempts to maintain her veneer of nastiness, deep inside Vidia was heartbroken. A single tear rolled down her cheek as the frost fairy began to draw her last, labored breaths.

Tinker Bell, don't go, Vidia wept in a fleeting thought.

~O~

Inside Hangman's Tree amid the crumbling ruins of his hideout Peter Pan searched desperately for Tinker Bell. Her glow began to fade, the shock of the explosion nearly dousing her light forever. He pleaded for her to live, proclaiming how wrong he was. That he should have listened to her more. To save her life he had to believe more than he ever did in the life of one little fairy.

~O~

Scouts reported back to Queen Clarion. The ministers gathered around her along with Lord Milori.

"Pirates," Nyx told them. "The Jolly Roger is anchored off the shores of Never Land Island."

"Then what was the earthquake?" Clarion asked.

Thick billowing clouds of smoke could now be seen in the sky. Nyx replied that some kind of explosion occurred nearby. "It was in the vicinity of Hangman's Tree. It's too far for cannon fire. We think the pirates may have set off a bomb there."

"The Jolly Roger is Captain Hook's ship," Clarion said, trying to reason this out. "He has been at war with Peter Pan for several years." Then it dawned on her. "Hangman's Tree must be Peter's secret hideout."

"Then Tinker Bell must have been with him when the bomb went off," Milori added. "She must be dead or dying. But why is Periwinkle feeling the same effect?"

The Keeper of All Fairy Knowledge, who was hanging around the fringe of the conversation cleared his throat and put forth an explanation. "If you don't mind me a-buttin' in here, I think I can explain. You see, Tinker Bell and Periwinkle were born of the same laugh. They each share half of it. If one half dies, the other dies with it. Or at least that's the theory."

Clarion put her hand to her mouth and gasped. "Oh dear. How can this be happening? What can be done, Keeper?"

"Well, ah, the only thing that can save Periwinkle is for Tinker Bell not to die."

~O~

It seemed that fate had dealt her a cruel hand. In his most desperate hour Tinker Bell had come to his rescue, putting her own life on the line to save his. When Pan finally shoved aside the last broken timber that stood in his way he found her. She lay near death on the floor of the hideout. Her body turning darker with each passing second. Tinker Bell managed to convey what Hook had done.

"I need you, Tink," he told her. "I need you to help me save Wendy. I can't do it alone."

It was a difficult and utterly painful admission for him to make. Peter Pan was a boy who thought very highly of himself. Too highly at times. Often his cunning got him out of tight spots that his arrogance created. Today, there was nothing he could do to avoid losing his friend. Nothing except hold her in the palm of his hand and say, "I believe."

~O~

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" the healing talent screamed. "Come quickly!"

Clarion and the others immediately attended to the scene where Periwinkle lay. The darkness in her skin began to fade as life seemed to return from out of nowhere. Her body slowly luminesced as her fairy glow was restored. She opened her eyes and looked upon the faces of all her closest friends and allies. She smiled.

"Tink is going to make it."

"Oh, and so are you," Rosetta cooed.

Rosetta broke into tears while Sled hugged her in a deep embrace. Iridessa took in deep breaths to calm her frayed nerves. Fawn lay down on the ice and then let out a tremendous whoop while flailing her arms and legs in victory. Silvermist leapt for joy and fluttered across the sky allowing the late evening sunlight to touch her face as if for the first time ever.

Vidia seemed unprovoked by the news, but inside she was relieved.

Terence, who took Tink's leaving very personally, stood aside and found a dark and quite corner. He knelt down and vomited. Then he began to cry. This moment dredged up far too many bad memories for him. Terence had blamed himself for Tinker Bell leaving and was willing to assume responsibility for her death. Now all he wanted was for her to come home. If not for his sake, then for Periwinkle's.

~O~

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Vidia was dressed for bed. She was about to turn off the battery powered lantern when she heard a knock at her door. "It's us," a girl's voice announced. "Tina and Penny."

Vidia sighed. "Come in."

Claire had invited Penny to stay the night. She couldn't allow the fifteen year old to stay alone in her own dark house without power. The two girls were to sleep in Tina's room, with Penny on the floor in a bed made of cushions, blankets and a sleeping bag. Before going off to bed they decided to pay Valerie one last visit.

The two girls entered the room together and looking rather contrite explained their presence. "We want to apologize for how we treated you on the drive home," Penny said. "We forget just how hard this must be for you."

"Yeah, the things you say are so off the wall that it's impossible for us not to laugh even when we shouldn't," Tina explained.

"We also wanted to bring this to you," Penny said, motioning to Tina.

The little blonde brought from behind her back a small plastic sack. From it she took a plush if worn looking teddy bear with one eye missing and a seam that was stitched back together.

Vidia's face lit up. "Mr. Bear!" Once again she took the bear and embraced it fondly, wrapping her arms around it like a cherished possession. "But when…?"

Tina explained. "When we were waiting in line to buy candles from Ms. Blanchard Penny snuck back into the school."

"Yeah, with only candles for light the two men who were selling it didn't recognize me," Penny continued. "I got it for two dollars. And now he's all yours."

Vidia put the bear on her bed and embraced the two teens. "Thanks. That's the nicest thing anyone has done for me."

When Vidia crawled into bed shortly after Tina and Penny had retired to their own room she tucked herself under the covers and snuggled up to her dear teddy bear. She clutched it jealously and smiled like she hadn't in such a long time. "I thought I had lost you again, Mr. Bear," she told it. In Pixie Hollow she never found her precious gift despite searching far and wide for months. How it got into the hands of Swift and Festus here in Storybrooke she would never know. What mattered most was that she had been reunited with her closest friend and most cherished companion.

"I have so much to tell you, Mr. Bear, but not tonight. Tomorrow we can start catching up."

The ultra-soft bear never felt so good against her skin. Within minutes Vidia descended into a deep slumber that was more restful and pleasant since that first night she decided to sleep with it by her side.

~O~

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (The Late Victorian Era)

Vidia lay sleepless in her bed. The faint glow of one lone candle illuminated the interior of her sour plum tree home. It was halfway to springtime on the mainland and Vidia had been unusually restless lately. She couldn't put her finger on why, but she did note a rather constant feeling of loneliness. Was it because of what Lizzy told her?

"I like being alone," she muttered. Maybe it wasn't that she chose to live a generally solitary life, but that some days she just needed companionship. A friend she could lean on or speak to, a confidant or confessor. Somebody she could trust to listen and not judge.

The flyer rolled over in her bed for the umpteenth time that night. She stared at the walls, the windows and the ceiling fan overhead counting its rotations until she gave up. She took in a deep breath and sighed. Then for no apparent reason her eyes fell on the bear Lizzy had given to her as a Christmas gift. She rolled her eyes, then rolled over and muttered, "Please. It's a child's toy."

Half an hour later, with the possibility of sleep tonight becoming increasingly fleeting Vidia began to try various remedies. First was warm milk, but that didn't work. Then she tried to do some stretches to tire herself, but she was already exhausted. She tried sleeping in different positions or with pillows in different places. Nothing worked.

"Ugh! What's wrong with me?" she asked no one. Her eyes fell on the doll once again and said, "What are you looking at, Mr. Bear?" She called it "Mr. Bear" with a mocking tone.

Its disarming smile never wavered. It did not judge her nor did it offer a rebuke for her snippy remark. Vidia sat in the middle of her room and stared at the foolish toy. She studied it looking for any reason to toss it off the cliff where her home was located. She spoke to it sporadically.

"Okay, so you want to talk?" she asked it. It said nothing, but it seemed more than welcoming. "Fine. I think you're stupid. You are a child's toy in the house of a grown fairy. And I'm stupid for talking to a child's toy."

Vidia kept talking to it, insulting it, denying it and then would come back to it to talk some more. Somehow the nature of the conversation turned to a different subject. "I feel like I'm not appreciated," she admitted to it. "I work hard every day gathering dust, but while everyone else gets a 'hey, good job' or a 'well done' or even a 'now that looks good,' I get nothing. I know, I know. I should probably be nicer, but this is who I am. Why can't the others just accept me this way? Why can't someone tell me 'good job, Vidia' when they come to pick up the dust I collect? My works is just as important as anyone else. Maybe even more so."

She continued to vent her emotional distresses to the bear for over an hour and a half. And before she knew it Vidia was holding it between in her hands. The fabric was so soft and warm. It's sweet and endearing smile almost seemed to say, "I appreciate you, Vidia."

The flyer returned the bear to its spot on her shelf. When she lay down again Vidia slept well. Several nights later she wasn't feeling very chummy and spoke to it again when she could not sleep. After another lengthy conversation Vidia dropped off almost instantly. By the time spring arrived she regularly tucked it under her arms before bed every night. "You're my best friend from now on, Mr. Bear." This time she had no malice in her voice when calling it by that name. She had embraced it both physically and emotionally. From that moment forward she slept with it by her side. As long as Mr. Bear remained her truest companion Vidia never slept better.

Whoo, that was a long one, but I hope everyone enjoyed. This wraps up Episode 14. Thanks for reading.