Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or Once Upon a Time.


Chapter 4: Cold as Ice

In the Enchanted Forest…

The forest was filled with radiant beams of gleaming orange light; the sun was setting on the horizon, its radiance lighting their path.

The young man followed the girl, Snow, through the trees. His limp had all but vanished, but he had kept ahold of the staff. It felt familiar to him, almost as if he had held it before, and it was comforting.

"How far away is this place, anyway?" he asked. They had been walking for most of the day, and he was getting tired.

"It's not far now," Snow assured him.

Sighing, the young man paused, looking around. "Wonderful," he muttered, and followed after Snow.

"What am I supposed to call you, anyway?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Believe me, if I remember my name, I'll let you know."


The sun had set by the time they finally reached the inn, about an hour later. The young man followed Snow out of the trees and up to the building, which was illuminated by torches mounted outside the front door. Several horses were tethered around the sides of the building, and the windows were brightly lit.

"Follow me, and don't talk to anyone," Snow instructed him.

Nodding, the young man trailed after her as she walked up to the front door, pushed it open and entered.

The first sensation he became aware of was the noise; a ceaseless babble of voices and laughter, loud enough that he flinched involuntarily as soon as he stepped through the door.

Snow's reaction was much less noticeable; she headed straight for the back of the room, keeping her gaze lowered. Clearly, she didn't want to draw attention to herself. The young man could fully understand that decision.

Lowering the hood on his jacket to partially conceal his face, the young man followed Snow through the crowded room, holding his staff close to his side in order to avoid hitting people with it. Slipping between two large men discussing a recent battle, he made his way over to Snow, who had found a seat at a small table in the back. She seemed nervous, and was constantly glancing about while keeping her head down.

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously.

Snow looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. "I'm not overly fond of places like this," she said quietly. "Too many people."

The young man raised an eyebrow. "Why are we here, then?"

"Because, if anyone who knows you happens to be in here, then you can go home," she replied. "If not… well, there's a town a few leagues down the road. We can try there next."

The young man nodded after a moment. "Sounds good to me."

They spent a considerable amount of time seated inconspicuously at the corner table. The young man made his way to and from the bar several times for drinks; Snow's nervous attitude only seemed to get worse as the night wore on, and he still couldn't figure out why.

The young man was also becoming increasingly frustrated as the night wore on. He had not seen anyone who seemed even remotely familiar, and no one else had shown the slightest signs of recognizing him. He was beginning to wonder if all of this was a waste of time.

Finally, after almost two hours, the young man was making his fourth visit to the bar. He nodded dismissively to the bartender, picking up a mug in each hand. But as he was about to head back to his table, he was distracted by a raised voice.

"Evening, darling!" a man's voice called out. "Can I buy you a drink?"

The young man turned, seeing that the man in question, garbed in a black uniform, was standing over the table that he had been sitting at. Snow was shrinking away from him, trying to hide herself under the hood of her jacket.

"Uh, no, thank you," she murmured. "I'm fine."

"Ah, come on, love! Live a little!" The man grinned, showing yellowing teeth.

The young man had seen about all that he cared to of this; he hurried across the room, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Look, I'm not interested," Snow said firmly. "Now, please, leave me alone."

The man laughed, clearly ignoring her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Feisty one, aren't you?"

"Excuse me," the young man said in a polite but firm voice, as he grasped the man's arm with one hand. "I think my friend would prefer to be left in peace."

The man turned, glaring at him. "And who exactly might you be, boy?"

Smiling faintly, the young man locked eyes with the man, calm and unafraid. "Now, that's a good question," he remarked. "Honestly, I'm not sure who I am. But I am sure that I'm not the type of person who stands by and watches something like this." He leaned casually on his staff, and his lips curved in a smirk.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he growled. "You think you're tough, boy? I'm a soldier in the Queen's army, and you had better show some respect when you're talking to me!"

The young man's smile faded, his face becoming serious. His stance shifted slightly, and he planted both feet firmly on the floor.

"Don't…" Snow said urgently, but the young man ignored her.

"'Show some respect,' huh?" He chuckled. "Well, I can't very well do that unless I see someone who actually seems to deserve my respect, now, can I?"

That did it. With a snarl, the soldier swung a punch, aimed directly at his face.

To the young man, the soldier's fist seemed to be moving in slow motion; he easily ducked the punch, then whipped his staff around in a sweeping blow that knocked the man's feet out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor, flat on his back.

The young man's eyes widened in surprise. Did I really just do that?

The soldier picked himself up, growling under his breath. "That's it, boy!" he snapped. "You're going to pay for that!" He drew a long knife from a sheath on his leg and lunged.

The young man reacted instantly. Sidestepping the initial stab of the knife, he spun, hurling the contents of the mugs he was holding directly into the man's face. With a cry, the soldier staggered backwards, temporarily blinded.

That was all the time the young man needed; he swung his left arm, smashing one of the mugs against the man's head. The mug shattered, and the soldier crumpled to the floor.

Turning, the young man looked down at Snow. "Snow, are you all right?" he asked.

Snow was staring at him in shock, but before she could say anything, another man's voice yelled, "Hey!"

The young man turned, just in time to see half a dozen other men who'd been sitting at the bar stand up and start towards him. They were all wearing nearly identical black uniforms, and each of them was drawing either a sword or knife.

This could be a problem, the young man thought to himself.

"We have to go," Snow whispered. "Now."

"Snow… that's what you called her, isn't it?" one of the men asked curiously, his eyes shifting from the young man to Snow. "That wouldn't happen to be Snow White, by any chance?"

Snow didn't reply, but she inhaled sharply, and that was enough for the young man to tell that he was right. The name meant nothing to him, but the fact that the soldiers had recognized her clearly wasn't good.

Apparently taking that as his answer, the lead soldier grinned. "As I thought." He drew his sword. "The Queen's expecting you, Snow White. I have a feeling she'll be very pleased with us for bringing you in."

The young man took a step backwards, placing himself solidly between Snow and the soldiers as he set down the remaining mug and raised his staff in a two-handed grip. Whoever she really was, there was no doubt in his mind which side he was on here.

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "You really don't want to do that, boy."

"Actually," the young man replied coolly, "I do."

"No, don't!" Snow gasped, but he ignored her.

The soldier scowled, but then shrugged. "Fine." Waving a hand to the other soldiers, he indicated the young man. "Kill him."

With identical grins, the other five soldiers rushed him simultaneously. The rest of the inn's patrons scattered, rushing to get out of the way.

The young man acted immediately. Kicking a nearby chair into the legs of an oncoming soldier and knocking him off-balance, he deflected a knife thrust from another man with his staff and slammed the staff against the man's head in the same fluid motion. The soldier was knocked off his feet and crumpled to the ground, knocking over a table.

Snow jumped up, drawing her knife and slashing at another soldier, while two more rushed at the young man with drawn swords. He spun between them, easily dodging their clumsy swings, and hammered one man over the head with his staff, stunning him. The other soldier whirled on him, stabbing with his sword, but the young man spun his staff, parrying the blow. To his surprise, the wood was completely undamaged by the collision with the sword; it was clearly stronger than it looked.

Snow ducked under a slash from a soldier's weapon, slicing her knife across his leg. He recoiled with a cry of pain, staggering and nearly falling. Jumping up, she kicked him in the chest, knocking him off-balance. Stumbling away, he crashed into a table and fell backwards over it, cracking his head against the floor and losing consciousness.

A precisely aimed jab from the young man's staff caught the soldier he was fighting in the throat; he reeled backwards, choking, and swung a wild blow with his sword. The young man sidestepped, and swung his staff with his full strength behind the blow. The tough wood cracked against the man's skull, knocking him unconscious.

The young man turned, just in time to see Snow hurling one of the two remaining soldiers headfirst into the wall. She hadn't realized that the leader of the soldiers was stalking up behind her, raising his sword to stab her.

With a yell of anger, the young man charged forward, jumping over a table. He hit the soldier with a full-body tackle, spinning him around and slamming him into the wall. The older man's sword slid from his hand and clattered to the floor.

The young man felt burning hatred rush through him. He seized the soldier by the throat with one hand, holding him in an unbreakable grip. The man grabbed at his hand, trying to pry the grip loose, but to no avail.

"You will never harm her, do you hear me?!" the young man snarled, tightening his grip. "You're going to get your friends, and you're going to leave. Do you understand me?" His anger only grew, and he felt an odd sensation; a surge of cold, as if icy water was flowing down his spine.

The soldier gasped in shock and pain, clutching desperately at the young man's hand. His eyes were wide and terrified.

And then something very unusual happened.

As the young man's grasp tightened again, the soldier's skin began to change color. His previously tan skin began to turn pale white, then gray… and then blue. He gasped, flailing weakly in an attempt to free himself.

And then, to the young man's astonishment, a coating of frost began to form over the soldier's skin, steadily thickening.

He was being covered in ice.

"No!" Snow cried, grabbing at the young man's arm and trying to pull him off of the soldier. "Stop! He doesn't deserve to die! Let him go!"

After a long moment, the young man finally released his grip on the soldier's throat, lowering his arm and stepping back. The soldier crumpled to the floor, gasping desperately for air. The ice and frost that had been coating his face and neck thawed instantly, disappearing. His skin returned to its normal color.

The young man stared in disbelief at the palms of his hands, unable to process what had just happened.

"Go!" Snow snapped, pulling at his arm and urging him towards the door. "We have to leave, now!"

Startled, the young man turned to face her, his eyes wide. "Yes… yes, you're right."

Hurrying through the wreckage and past the bodies of the soldiers, the pair burst out through the front door of the inn and started running. They sprinted down the path for a short distance, and then cut off course, darting into the forest.


Storybrooke, Maine

Jackson was seated in his usual booth at Granny's, enjoying a late dinner. He smirked as he saw Ruby exit the kitchen, but averted his eyes and returned his attention to the grilled cheese sandwich he had ordered.

Jackson had been in Storybrooke for about a week now, and he had yet to regret it. The town was an extremely pleasant place to live; although he hadn't met more than a few of the residents, they all seemed like perfectly nice people.

As Jackson glanced out the window, he noticed the moon hanging in the night sky, gleaming silver.

An idea occurred to him.

The corner of Jackson's mouth twitched in a grin. You know, I haven't seen the woods around here yet… and I am feeling pretty bored…

"Anything else I can get you?" Ruby asked, pausing next to his booth.

Jackson turned, surprised; he hadn't noticed her. "Just the check, please," he replied with a smile. "I feel like going out for a run."

A few minutes later, Jackson strolled out of the front door of the diner. He walked around the side of the building, into the parking lot behind it. Looking up at the moon, he let his inner wolf rise to the surface for the first time since he'd come to Storybrooke. His eyes flashed blue, as his fangs and claws extended.

Jackson grinned, and then sprang into motion, moving in a blur. He darted across the parking lot and into the trees, vanishing into the woods within seconds.


In the woods outside Storybrooke, Emma Swan was examining her crashed car. Scowling, she turned, planting her hands on her hips, and glared into the surrounding trees.

"Well, this is just great," she muttered.

Sidney Glass, her partner in the plan they'd concocted to expose Regina's corruption, was examining the damaged car. "I don't know how that could have happened; the brakes were working before, weren't they?"

"Yeah, they were," Emma replied. She sighed in frustration. "Which means someone cut the brakes."

"So what do you want to do?" Sidney inquired. "I can call a mechanic, if you want."

Emma considered for a long moment, but eventually shook her head.

"No," she decided. "I've had enough of this. We're doing this now." She started off down the road, beckoning Sidney to follow her. "Come on; let's go."

Nervously, Sidney followed, trailing after her.

As they were about to enter the woods, Emma was halted by the sound of an echoing howl. It was clearly coming from a long distance away, but it was unmistakable.

She turned to face Sidney, her eyes wide in surprise. "Was that a wolf?"

Sidney shrugged. "Most likely, yes. We do have those here."

"Huh." Emma blinked, looking back out into the woods. The sound had sent a chill down her spine, but she ignored it. Relax, Emma. You're in the middle of Maine; obviously there are wolves out here. "All right, then. Let's get moving."


Jackson hurtled through the darkened woods, running on all fours to increase his speed. His glowing blue eyes illuminated the darkness, enabling him to easily maneuver through the dense forest.

Jumping onto a fallen tree, Jackson howled again, the cry echoing through the forest. Leaping off the tree trunk, he landed lightly on the forest floor. He smiled predatorily and breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of everything around him.

It had been a very long time since Jackson had really been able to let his inner wolf loose. London hadn't exactly been conducive to roaming about at night, and he had been forced to restrain himself as a result. As a result, he intended to make the most of this opportunity. The moon wasn't full, which meant that he was still in full control; he was simply relaxing, letting his wolf guide him, instead of suppressing it.

Just then, a scent caught his attention; a human scent, nearby. Reversing his transformation, Jackson rose to his feet and glanced around, searching for the source of the intriguing aroma.

A few seconds later, another sense detected something; the sound of leaves and pine needles crunching underfoot drew his attention. Jackson's head snapped around, his eyes flickering blue again as he ducked behind a tree to conceal himself.

After about ten seconds, the source of the footsteps came into view; a distinguished-looking man in a dark blue business suit, leaning on a cane to support himself. He had shoulder-length brown hair, which was slicked back, and had a casual air about him.

As the man approached Jackson's hiding place behind the tree, he paused, looking around. For a moment, Jackson was worried that the man knew he was there… but then the guy continued walking onward through the trees, without even glancing towards the tree where Jackson had concealed himself. Just like that, he was gone.

Jackson stepped out from behind the tree, glancing in the direction that the man had gone. Something about that guy seemed oddly familiar, and it had discomforted him.

Shrugging, he turned to leave, starting in the opposite direction.

"Can I be of service to you, young man?" a male, accented voice asked from behind him.

Jackson froze, his eyes wide in shock. There was no way someone should have been able to sneak up behind him. That shouldn't have been possible!

He turned slowly, to see, as he'd expected, the guy in the blue business suit. The man's eyes widened when Jackson turned around, as if he was extremely surprised to see him, but he regained his composure almost immediately. "And who might you be?" he asked casually.

Jackson's eyes narrowed. "I'm Jackson," he replied. "Jackson Whittemore. And who exactly are you?"

The man smiled. "Ah, forgive me; we don't get many visitors to this town." He walked forward, leaning on his cane and extending his free hand in greeting. "My name is Mr. Gold. It's a pleasure to meet you… Jackson."

"Uh, thanks." Jackson shook his hand, somewhat hesitantly. The man's hand felt perfectly normal, and his scent was ordinary, but something about him made Jackson uneasy.

"So, what brings you out into the woods at this hour?" Mr. Gold inquired.

"I was just out for a run," Jackson replied guardedly.

"In the middle of the night?" Gold raised an eyebrow. "An interesting choice."

Jackson's eyes narrowed. "Why does it matter to you?"

Gold smiled faintly. "It doesn't; I was just curious." He gazed at Jackson for another moment, as if examining him, with an odd expression on his face. "Well, I should probably be on my way. It's a pleasure to meet you… Jackson." Turning, he strolled off down the path, disappearing into the forest.

Jackson stared after Gold for a long moment.

"What the hell was that about?" he muttered to himself.

Trying to put Gold out of his mind, Jackson shook his head and started walking in the opposite direction. He looked up, his eyes seeking out the silver disc of the moon again.

Now, then…

Jackson's eyes flashed blue, and he grinned. A moment later, he started running again, losing himself in the sensation of the cold night air and the scents and sounds of the forest.


As Mr. Gold limped down the path through the forest, he tried to calm his racing thoughts. But as hard as he thought, he kept coming back to the same conclusion.

It's impossible! he thought to himself. It can't be him. There's no way he could be here!

But he kept seeing images of that boy, Jackson. The blue eyes, the confident smirk, the spiked-up blonde hair… he would have recognized him anywhere. If Jackson's hair had been white, they would have been exactly alike.

Even the name… Gold thought, scowling. But it's not possible! He shouldn't be here!

For the first time in a very long time, Mr. Gold had no idea how to deal with a situation.

And it wasn't a good feeling.


A/N: And here we are again. Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've been very busy lately and haven't had much time to write. Hopefully this chapter made up for it!

Just in case anybody's wondering, this chapter takes place during Season 1, Episode 11, "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree". The scenes in the Enchanted Forest are taking place after the Huntsman helped Snow to escape from the Queen, but before she meets Red Riding Hood. I just wanted to clarify that, because I know it can be confusing.

Shoutouts to Tala White 14 and Guest for reviewing, I really appreciate it!

Next chapter, we find out why Mr. Gold seems to recognize Jackson, more of the young man's story is explained, and Jackson becomes involved with more of Storybrooke's residents… stay tuned!

See you all next time!

Review Q&A:

Q: Wow, and the plot is thickening even more. Ugh, I can barely control my curiosity. I can't wait to see what happens next. You have an amazing way with words. Please update soon. This is soooo good!

A: Well, I hope this chapter was to your liking, then! Thanks, I really appreciate the compliment! :)

Q: Hey. Loving the story so far. The interactions are awesome and so are the flashes from FTL. Can't wait for the next update.

A: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!