Here's another new chapter!
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-FantasyWriterFoSho
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Summary of the Previous Chapter: Emma battled the mirror while Regina finally arrived at the loft.
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Chapter Eleven: Professionally Cunning
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Regina gave them her full attention when they repeated what they knew about the situation. Nodding her head, she was able to confirm their suspicions easily. There was no conceivable way for Gold not to be up to something and, judging by their tale, it had to be a big one if it included Emma.
"Could it be possible that he's just using her to lure the Snow Queen?" Mary Margaret inquired aloud, her gaze roaming about the room.
Regina weighed the question."It's possible," she conceded, raising one of her folded hands up to rest her chin against. "We would need more information about his motives before we could really consider that one though..."
"Aye," Killian agreed under his breath, slightly looking at the ground. He still hadn't said anything about the dagger, or voiced any of his other suspicions, and he could feel the guilt of withholding it start to press down on his shoulders.
Noticing his change of demeanor, Regina thought about confronting him but ultimately chose to ignore it. She was here for one purpose and one purpose only: to get Emma back. If he didn't want to divulge what he knew, that was his problem; however, if it did manage to affect her job in any way, then it would depend on how bad the impact would be for her to lash out at him.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Regina dropped her arms before flourishing them both, her wrists and fingers twirling in the air. A puff of purple smoke appeared in front of her, covering her midsection in wispy vapors, which spiraled away in seconds, revealing a huge, hovering case in its wake.
Regina gripped the handle then pulled it from the air, allowing it to thump gently against her calf. "Not that I doubt Gold's magical abilities but we're going to do that tracking potion again. It's our best option. Plus, it will also ensure that he wasn't messing with the formula..."
She then walked over to the counter. Lifting it up, then plopping it carefully down atop it, she moved her hands to open the flap, which she easily tossed away with a flick of a finger. Looking at her vast traveling supplies of tools, vials, various herbal and special ingredients, Regina plucked out what she would need for the potion before conjuring up a medium sized cauldron, which she then settled off to her right.
Ignoring the soft conversations happening behind her, Regina placed all of her concentration and focus into creating the enchantment, one she had made more times than she could count. To be completely honest, she could do this blindfolded, but she really didn't want to stray away from her self-appointed task because if she did, she would stumble into her mixed bag of feelings.
Shaking her head, she gathered her wits before adding the dry ingredients into the cauldron. Exhaling softly, she then pulled a long muddler out and started mixing it all together with one hand while the other reached for several prepped liquids.
She was just about to incorporate the vial's contents when she heard footsteps directly behind her. Looking up, Regina used her peripheral vision to see who was approaching and immediately saw the familiar form of Mary Margaret. Already knowing where this exchange was headed, Regina rolled her eyes before going back to her work, silently waiting for the other woman to speak.
"Hey," Mary Margaret said, her tone gentle. "I again just wanted to thank you for what you're doing. It's...really nice of you."
Regina didn't say anything. She just briskly grabbed for a long, thin utensil and began stirring the pouring liquid and the dry ingredients.
"I understand if you don't want to talk to me, but I quickly just wanted to speak on Emma's behalf—"
"I'm going to stop you right there," Regina interrupted firmly. Peeking over her shoulder, she stopped the infusion process so she could give Mary Margaret a steely look. "I'm only doing this for Henry and on the grounds that if I didn't, you wouldn't give me a moment's peace. I warn you though, Snow. Don't forget my terms."
Taking in the other woman's wide eyes, she continued by recounting said agreement, needing her to understand her words. "You can't bring up the reason behind me helping; I don't want anyone thanking me for my assistance; my son's safety is my main priority in this matter and after this...I'm officially done with the magical aspects of this town. Got it?"
Mouth falling slightly open, Mary Margaret sadly nodded her head.
"But I will ask you to do one thing for me..."
"What is it?"
"Make sure that this news circulates well," Regina added. Then, gesturing her head in Killian's direction, she continued. "I don't want guyliner over there attempting any more conversations with me ever again; friendly or otherwise."
Mary Margaret held Regina's gaze before the latter looked away. Nodding her head absentmindedly, she bit her tongue, not sure of what she could say that would be able to sway the other woman's rash decision.
Clasping her hands in front of her, she decided to leave the busy Regina to her work. Slowly moving over to the crib, her gaze was reflective when she caressed it over Neal's sleeping face, her thoughts bouncing between him, Emma and Regina.
Henry, who had been standing beside David, had watched the entire interaction between his grandma and one of his moms. Frowning, he hesitated before walking over to the counter, his gaze on the center of Regina's back. "Are you okay?" he asked after he had moved to stand beside her, his eyes filled with concern.
Pausing in her movements, Regina turned to her son and gave him a small, but unreadable, smile.
"I'm trying to be..."
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Resisting the urge to fling her around his shop, Gold instead gave the Snow Queen a dismissive wave. "My affairs are my own, dearie, and I'll conduct them in any way I please."
"As long as you don't overstep your boundaries, I don't care how you handle them," she replied, a noticeable bite in her tone. "Just remember that Emma and Elsa are mine and if you get too close to them, or hurt them in any way, it becomes my affair..." she then stopped, punctuating her words with a step in his direction. She wanted to make her terms perfectly clear. "...and I'll become your worst nightmare."
"Two bold moves in one sitting," he remarked sarcastically, his hand tightening on his unseen dagger. "Is that threat supposed to scare me, dearie? I've dealt and destroyed bigger fish than you and you would do well to remember that." His eyes then flashed. "You have no control over me. What I do is my own—"
"'Affair'?" She then rolled her eyes. "I understand. You don't need to constantly repeat yourself."
"Don't ever interrupt me again," he warned through gritted teeth.
The Snow Queen gave him a menacing smile. "You always were sensitive when someone challenged your authority. A trait that you and I share, I suppose; however, I didn't just come over here to just ban you from my two girl's lives." Flicking a finger, she summoned a cool stream of air around its tip. "I came here to advise you..."
"On what, pray tell?"
"To ensure that you heed my threats," she began, the same smile on her face. "And to limit the powers you would, no doubt, level against me, so..I advise that you think before you act. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have a piece of valuable information, so, in a way...you're in my debt, but we'll worry about that later."
Gold's face darkened.
"My main advisory is that if you attack me, or what's mine, I'll make sure to do something worse to the ones you love before you could even finish the task."
Gold sneered at her. Deciding that his revenge would taste sweeter with more time, he, once again, concealed his dagger before making his way over to her, his limp noticeable in his anger. "Careful, dearie," he stressed when he stood directly in front of her. "Magic always comes with a price...and taking on the Dark One is a high one to pay..."
The Snow Queen stood firm and met his challenging gaze before leaning forward. Her breath was ice cold when she brought her enchanted finger up, then under, his chin, the frost nibbling at his exposed flesh. "That's what I'm counting on."
Then, with a twist of her raised hand, she suddenly vanished in a hail of light blue smoke, the tendrils circling around the close figure of the man she had left behind.
Glancing back up at the clock, Gold tried to calm himself down by taking deep, steadying breaths. It had only been fifteen minutes since his last glimpse but the whole interaction had made it felt longer.
Looking downward, he tilted his head to one side before suddenly smiling and lifting a hand up to his eye level. If she had been paying more attention to what he was doing instead of what he had been saying, then she would've felt a slight tug near her temple the moment she had leaned over and frosted his chin.
Gazing at the plucked hair he had stolen off her person, Gold quickly examined the strand before making his way back over to his counter. Locating necessary items from his shelves, he effortlessly began constructing another tracking potion, incredibly intent on finding the Snow Queen, and through her, Emma.
"Thank you for your cooperation, dearie," he muttered under his breath, an anxious glint in his features. "Like I said, magic always comes with a price..."
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More to come! Stay tuned and thanks!