Morrighan's phone buzzed ash she walked to the Pawn Shop. There was a text from Rachel Tucker.

R: How are you?

Sellout, she texted back.

R: ?

M: U told my mom Tony has a crush on me.

R: Did not

M: Did too

R: What are you listening to?

She rolled her eyes. Your album's okay.

R: Just ok?

M: Just ok.

R: Whatcha up to

M: Walking to my job.

R: oh, spill

M: pawn shop, uninteresting

R: you've come down in the world

M: shut up

R: Honestly tho, how r u?

M: Well. Things are getting better

R: good! :P

R: I still sign your headshot btw

R: Morrighan Westenddddd

M: If anyone in the town has ur headshots stashed
somewhere, cross my heart ill write 'Tucker with a F' just for you 3

R: TUCKER WITH A T!

M: :") :")

R: 'cause f goes...

M: i know XD it was your idea

R: I'm just teasing, god lighten up.

M: I know i'm teasing 2 squish

R: stop calling me that

M: never, it's your fault. Next time when u put a number in someone's
phone, write ur name like a normal person

R: HUFF

M: Tell Ben I said hi! im almost there, have 2 go soon

R: facetime and tell him urself sometime. I'm very
glad to hear you're feeling better tho

M: thanx

R: And Country and Anthony are glad you're talking to them

M: I've been talking to them since week three.

R: If you need to run away, you can come to london and
hide in my house. I need a babysitter.

M: So does my mom lol

R: I was thinking it would be nice is Benjamin and Tobias
got to visit face to face, do you think now would be a
good time to bring it up?

M: I dunno, ur mom's bestie. I think Tobby would like that.

M: Honestly though I dont think therell be a better time. No
tours and mom's been feeling pretty well. Probs the meds tho.

R: New drug?

M: Yup.

R: Drat

M: I know

M: I'm at the door, talk to you later. Break a leg tonight!

R: You too, or whenever you say to pawn shop clerk

M: Good luck

R: You'll jinx me!

M: No, say good luck to me

R: Good luck Morrie

M: I hate you

R: 3 3 3

Morrighan turned the screen off and slipped the phone into her pocket. The sign on the door said closed, but Mr. Gold had told her that it would be unlocked. She took a deep breath and let herself in.

"Good morning!" her employer said as she walked in. His wife was going over some catalogues on the counter while he was polishing some knickknacks.

"Good morning," she echoed with a cheery disposition. If she hadn't already been in a good mood, joking with Rachel had put her into one.

"For today," Mr. Gold began, giving her rundown od the shop and informing her of her duties. "Also," he concluded. "We also make some health tonics." His wife looked up. "My hands are a bit shaky, so I was wondering if you mix any orders we get in today."

"Like crystal healing?" Morrighan asked, trying not to be judgemental. If she knew anything, it was that those were a big hoax. Every crystal healer on the planet messaged her saying they had the cure for her mom when one of Zelena's stalkers had leaked that she'd been going to the hospital regularly.

"No, no," the man said. "It's proper herbs and stuff. No hoax. I tell people it's like that, because its what they want to hear, and you have to chant while preparing them, just in case people are spying, but it's nothing dangerous."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," his wife said. "We talked about this Rumple, don't scare the kid."

Rumple. Such an odd nickname.

"I just want to test something out," he argued. "I've got a theory that no one will tell the difference if you make them."

"Oh," she asked, intrigued.

"So just follow the recipes and chant the rhymes. See what happens."

There was something else going on here, Morrighan was sure of it. Something was telling her she should get out, but she was in to deep now. Regina had warned her that Mr. Gold was a bit off, might ask for some out of the box stuff. She hadn't thought herbal tonics would be it.

But it wouldn't kill her. And maybe she'd learn something. Theoretically, this was based on science, or at least trial and error.

She started by polishing the outer shelves. It was quiet. No one came by.

"You know," his wife said after a while. "You could put some of your music on if you don't like the silence."

"She doesn't have to Belle," Mr. Gold said.

"It's fine," Morrighan replied. "Besides, I'm not sure what I'm in to will fit the mood."

"I'll be the judge of that," Mrs. Gold said. "There a stereo just back there, you can plug your phone in. Besides, I want to know what you kids are into these days."Morrighan walked over and plugged her phone in. She didn't have a lot in English when it came to it. And even then it was mostly musical theatre cover. The entire Wicked album, of course, in multiple languages, Rachel's albums, and practically everything by Shoshana Bean. Though she'd liked Bean since she'd first heard Superhero and had been floored when she found out that Bean had once been Elphaba. There were a few other English songs form the radio, but none in a sole playlist or enough to play without them getting repetitive.

She just decided to put Sho on anyways, and set it to play through all her songs, starting with her first Album. She also set it to mix on some other music. She didn't mind Rachel's voice as much as she said she did.

"I don't have much that isn't from musical theatre stars," she warned. "Even the artists I liked before I was into theatre did musical theatre. So the vocals are kind of everywhere."

"Gideon listens to that stuff," Belle said. "Always has Idina Menzel playing."

"Not to be mean or anything," Morrighan said, "but her albums are a bit more pop and mainstream. I wouldn't really count that if it's her albums. OB cast recordings count though. She's a great performer though, and nice in person which is always great."

"You've met her?"

"Yes."

"You'll have to tell Gideon," she said. "Nothing ever comes out here, so never get to go to shows and stuff."

"Tell me about it," Morrighan said with a laugh, "I never got to see shows till I was in LA. 'Cause when you're touring, you're the main attraction and there's no time to travel to the next city over for a show."

'What's that like," she asked, "travelling around the world."

"Amazing. I don't get to see as much as I want to, but I still get to see more than most people."

"When Gideon goes off to university, I'm planning on going across Europe. I've always to travel. Gold can come if he wants, but I'm leaving him here is he doesn't." She chuckled. She had a nice smile.

Morrighan just shrugged and went back to polishing the shelves. She looked over at Mr. Gold, who seemed not to be the biggest fan of Shoshana's vocals. However, she could see him tapping along as Good Enough came on and by Come to Me, she was pretty sure his objections were gone.

Rumplestiltskin watched Morrighan closely. She was a hard worker. If this had been the Enchanted Forest, he would have taken her on as a magic student instantly. Even if magic had not come easily to her, he was pretty certain she would have picked it up quickly. She was clearly determined to do a good job even if she was not happy about it. But she was professional and did not let it show. Rumple just knew, from everything Regina had said and from having a teen himself.

Was it wrong to keep comparing her to Gideon? He hoped he was doing right by his son, but he had no idea. If Zelena could raise a half-decent human, he could too. And Gideon was more than half-decent if a bit self-absorbed and unrealistically ambitious.

One of the dwarves came into the shop, looking for a tonic for Sleepy. He couldn't do magic anymore, that was true, but magical ingredients were still magical. There were many spells non-magical people could make if they had the right materials. And Gold had the right materials.

He asked Morrighan to do it. He was curious about the results. If someone magical prepared it, it would be a bit more stable than if he did it. Besides, he hadn't been lying about his hands. He was getting old.

She did it all without question, and the result was exactly what he had hoped for. The girl had magic potential, and a lot of it. And somehow, it was controlled. He would have to figure out how. Just in case it wasn't.

If she was hanging around Gideon, he wanted to make sure she wasn't a walking magical pressure bomb.