"Heya!" Lionel waved. "Great to see you, everyone. It's a lot like coming home here, y'know?"
"Well, I'm pleased that you think that," Regina smiled warmly as she approached the group. "Maybe you'd like to come have dinner at my mansion."
"Dinner at the Mayor's house?" Mo asked. "Sounds pretty exciting."
"I thought so too," Regina smiled. "Henry was just telling me about how much he likes your company."
"Yeah, it'll be awesome," Henry added. "It'll be like having big brothers and sisters around."
"Hmm... I guess we could do dinner," Cherry replied. "We could get settled again today until dinnertime and meet you there?"
"Sure," Regina nodded. "Just let me know what you'd like to eat and I'll meet you in front of the mansion say, 6:00?" she then suggested.
"Sure, 6:00 is good!" Lionel replied with a nod.
"Well, great then," Regina beamed. "We'll see you around then."
"Bye, guys," Henry added. "Until 6:00 that is."
The others agreed and Regina soon went to take Henry back home as the group went to get settled at Granny's Bed & Breakfast again.
"Miss Butler?" A voice rang before Cherry flinched and turned around to see the pawnshop owner.
"Sir?" Cherry greeted.
"May I have a word with you?" Mr. Gold requested.
"Yes, sir." Cherry shrugged before she went to follow him over to his pawnshop as he led her there.
And soon, they arrived at the pawnshop.
"What is it?" asked Cherry.
"I believe you and I need to discuss something, dearie." Mr. Gold smirked a little behind his work counter.
"...Well, okay, make it quick," Cherry shrugged before yawning and stretching. "I still got a bit of travel fatigue."
"I understand, but I believe you owe me a favor." Mr. Gold told her as he looked her in the eyes.
"You mean when I came over, showing that helmet to you?" Cherry shrugged. "You got something to show me in exchange or something?"
"No... You promised me you'd help me find someone." Mr. Gold replied.
"I don't remember agreeing to that." Cherry said as she crossed her arms.
"Oh, no?" Mr. Gold replied before he took out a contract with her signature on it. "Recognize this?"
Cherry looked at the contract with wide eyes. "...But I made that deal with... With-"
"Rumplestiltskin? Yes, I know," Mr. Gold replied as he looked at her. "Well, dearie, believe it or not... I am Rumplestiltskin."
"What? No way, that's impossi-Wait a minute..." Cherry retorted before her eyes widened and she remembered seeing the impish man in question back in Feudal Japan and started to notice a strong resemblance. "...Uh-oh. It is you..." she then muttered as she realized she now had to return the favor even though she thought that she would get away with making that deal.
"Ding, ding, ding; nothing gets past you, does it?" Mr. Gold smirked dryly.
"Ugh..." Cherry's head hit the counter as she sweated nervously before looking up at him. "Uh... Heh... About that... I was just trying to be nice..." she then grinned wearily.
"I don't want to have to warn you about the danger of breaking a deal with me..." Mr. Gold smirked darkly.
"What's the worse that could happen?" Cherry asked. "So I broke a promise... So what?"
"Okay... You can see what happens to other people who have upset me back in The Enchanted Forest..." Mr. Gold smirked before waving his hand at her, making her disappear in a puff of blood-red smoke.
Cherry blinked before looking around as she was a snail and was about to be stepped on. "I'll go through with the deal! I'll go through with the deal!" she then panicked before he backed off and changed her back. "...I don't know where I could even find him!"
"My globe has shown me his whereabouts and you may bring your friends along if you wish, just as long as you don't go back on our deal," Mr. Gold replied, showing her his magic globe. "Just no breaking our deal... Or the consequences will be rather grave."
"Got it..." Cherry gulped as she grasped her throat. "Man... I'm gonna need a vacation from this vacation." And for a while, she would at least get it... Until the next adventure.
TO BE CONTINUED...