"What would you like to discuss, Mr. Gold?" Alana cooed. She smiled as Mr. Gold circled her. She had her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. She thought it was cute how he believed she was afraid of him. He didn't say anything. She knew exactly why. "Poor, dear Rumple. It seems the tables have turned."
He glared at her and pointed to the shell necklace that hung from her neck. He wanted his voice back.
"Let's make a little deal, Rumple. I'll give you your voice back but in return you must do something for me."
His eyes narrowed. Alana chuckled.
"I'm just…not exactly sure what yet. I'll let you know eventually…" Alana slowly paced black and forth comfortably. She really thought she had the upper hand, "when I think of something. For the most part, though, I think we can assume one thing." She stopped pacing and came really close to Rumpelstiltskin's face. "You stay away from my sisters. Don't make deals with them. Don't even look at them."
Rumpel wasn't surprised. He lifted his hand—he wanted to shake to seal the deal.
Alana grabbed his hand, and when she did a small light glowed from her necklace. The orb of light traveled down her arm and around their clasped hands…then back into Rumpel's mouth. He looked away from her. The process of taking and receiving a voice was painful, Alana knew from experience. It was like swallowing hot sandpaper.
Gold glared at her once the process was complete. "You better have given Belle's voice back to her by now."
Alana opened her mouth and put a hand over her heart as if she were hurt. It was a movement Gold remembered doing as his old self…as the dark one without any love. For a second, Gold felt as if he could relate to the teenage mermaid.
"Of course I have. I'm not that crazy. Although I'm starting to question her innocence after what you tried to pull a few nights ago."
Gold stiffened. "You have no idea what it's like to love someone."
"Whatever," she shrugged. "Besides, she's out of the hospital now."
"What?"
"Yes, I know. She was really starting to lose it. Then the curse took over her again…fully this time."
"Who is she now?"
Alana shrugged. "Last time I saw her she told me her name was Margie. That was when she was between the point of being Belle and…well, being whoever she is now."
Gold swiveled around and began to hobble away.
"Where are you going?" Alana asked.
"Going to find her…" Gold muttered. He left the room determined to meet Lacey for the first time.
It was starting to get chilly outside, but Andrina figured it would be a good idea to take her dog, Perdi, for a walk. She was a fairly new dog…about three years old. Andrina adopted her from the animal shelter. Perdi was so beautiful. She sat with obedience and strength—her little spots fit in a perfect kind of femininity. She was a lot like Andrina—they matched. Andrina named her after her favorite character in 'A Winter's Tale'—Perdita.
Ever since the curse had broken she had missed being a mermaid. Sometimes it was nice to stare at the water, her formal home. She took Perdi to the pier where she could daydream about the life she once knew…the life that she might never get back. Andrina lost herself there…
That was until something caught her leg. Andrina was caught in a spiral when not one but two leashes began to wrap around her leg. Andrina shrieked as she lost her balance—Andrina fell into the water.
As she wiggled her legs she continued to sink down into the cold ocean. Two Dalmatians doggie-paddled around her.
'No,' she thought, 'I can't die like this!'
Then someone jumped in after her. Things were starting to get blurry now. She couldn't see who it was, but she desperately needed their help. She reached out but she was so numb that she could not feel his touch.
And then she got pulled away to the surface where the air hit her with a wave of knives and cold. She grabbed the shirt of the man who rescued her, determined to find heat, but instead she found the coldness of his wet shirt.
"Andrina, I'll get you out of here," said the familiar voice. "Gah…you're shivering."
Andrina looked up and saw that it was Dr. Hopper. Pongo and Perdi swam close behind them.
Before she knew it, Andrina found herself back in Dr. Hopper's home. He brought her to the living room after he let her change into some dry clothes. It was a humble little place…it looked much like his office. Except the black leather chairs were his and there was a fireplace to relax in front of. Archie turned the fireplace on, of course. He even wrapped her in his favorite dark green blanket.
Archie brought her a cup of hot cocoa with a scoop of fluff on top. Andrina noticed that he had on new clothes now, too. His collared shirt was not button at the top. Andrina couldn't help but to stare at his exposed chest.
"Are you alright, Andrina?" he asked as he sat next to her.
"Yes, thank you," she said. She took a sip of the hot cocoa, but slowly. She didn't want to burn her tongue.
Hopper took a sip of his own mug. After all, he also plummeted into those old waters. He looked over to their dogs—Perdi was laying down comfortably on Pongo's bed while Pongo licked the cold water off of her fur. Andrina noticed them, too.
"Well look at that," she said.
"How long have you had her?"
"I got her before the curse broke but…it was when Emma came to town. When everything changed."
"I…"
"Oh my God!" Andrina exclaimed. For a second Archie was concerned. Andrina hurried over to the window. The light showed the white falling from the sky. It was hard to believe that it was 50 degrees only a week before, but New England weather was always strange in March…especially in Storybrooke. Archie followed her to the window. "When the snow melts, what does it become?"
"Easy, it becomes water," Archie replied.
"Wrong," Andrina smiled. "It becomes spring."
Archie looked at her smile. He was impressed with her little joke. Archie found himself smiling back at her.
