When Henry Met Penny

by Model Builder

When the Jupiter 2 lands in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold sees the Robinson's ship and the remaining magic bean as his way back to the Enchanted Forest. But Dr. Smith has ideas of his own. And matters get even more complicated for the Robinsons and the Mills/Swan/Charming Charming families when Penny Robinson and Henry Mills discover that they have fallen in love with each other . . . .

4. Henry Mills' Wild Ride

Chapter 4: Henry Mills' Wild Ride

When Henry finally found Penny, she was sitting on a bench by the beach, sobbing. Henry sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and Penny leaned into him.

Henry said, "It's kind of appropriate for me to find you here, Penny. You know, when I was Will's age, I used to come here all the time. There was a wooden playground castle just over there, where I used to like to sit and think when I wanted to be by myself. But it was badly damaged in a storm a few years ago, and my mom – Regina – had it torn down. She had another one built a bit further inland to replace it. But it just wasn't the same . . . ."

Penny looked up at Henry, who smiled at her, and said, "Oh, Henry, how can you be so calm? My family is leaving in another day or two and we'll never see each other, again! We're not only leaving Storybrooke, we are leaving this entire universe! We won't be able to get married!"

"I don't believe that, Penny," said Henry matter-of-factly, meeting her eyes which were even beautiful when tear streaked. "You haven't left yet, so there is still hope for us!"

Penny looked down and started sobbing again. But Henry turned her chin up with his hands, and met her eyes again. "Penny, I don't know how it is in Science Fiction. But we Fairy Tales NEVER give up hope! That's what we're all about! The idea that no matter how bad things may seem at the time, life can get better if you just hold on to hope!"

"But Henry, you heard my parents," persisted Penny. "We can't stay and . . . and they are right. We were sent into space to help save our world; not to save only ourselves. Oh, Henry, our people are suffering and they are counting on us! We have to go, no matter how much we love each other and want to be together for the rest of our days!"

"Actually, around here, we say, "Happily Ever After." Henry kissed Penny on her cheek. Even her tears of sadness tasted like the nectar of the gods. "Penny, I would have been surprised if something like this didn't happen to us! I thought that maybe either your parents or mine or even both of them would be what stood between us. That's usually how these things work.

"But my moms and grandparents really do like you, and your family likes me – well, except for Will; but he'll come around. I believe that as sure as the sun is going to rise!"

Penny managed a smile, and said, "Actually, this planet is moving around the sun, not the other way around."

Henry smiled wide. "I can only imagine what Will would have said if he were here, too, and I said that! I'd have probably gotten an entire lecture on astronomy!

"But Penny, in Fairy Tales, True Lovers must always to face adversity before their Happily Ever After. This is kind of a test, I think. We both have to hold on to our hope, and everything will be alright!"

"Y-you really think so, Henry?" said Penny, wiping away a tear.

"I know so!" replied Henry. The two teens looked into each other's eyes. "We are meant to be together! I love you, Penny Robinson!"

Penny smiled as the redness from crying began to vanish from her face. "And I love you, Henry Mills!"

The two teens began to move closer to kiss each other. But before Henry Mills and Penny Robinson could kiss each other, they were startled by the honking of a car horn. Henry and Penny looked behind them to see Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith getting out of Mr. Gold's Cadillac.

"I thought that we might find the two of you here," said Mr. Gold with a friendly smile. "Everyone back at Granny's Diner is very worried about you two. Penny, your mother wanted to organize a search party. And it was all that I could do to keep Regina from casting a locator spell. But I know after what Penny's family just said about having to leave Storybrooke that the two of you would be distraught, and would need some time to yourselves to think things over."

Mr. Gold took out his cellphone, and tapped out a quick text message. "I'm letting Regina and Emma and Penny's parents know that I have found the both of you safe and sound, and will be bringing you back, soon.

"Now, if the two of you have calmed yourselves down, Dr. Smith and I would like to take you out for lunch. I have a thought that I would like to run by you both that might just cheer you up, and since you missed lunch at Granny's, I imagine that you are both pretty hungry."

In truth, neither Henry nor Penny was especially hungry. But before either of the teens could say another word in reply, Mr. Gold waved his hand, surrounding the four of them in a swirling, purple smoke that soon dissipated. When the smoke cleared, Henry and Penny realized that they were no longer on the beach, and were sitting in a booth in Storybrooke's House of Pizza.

Dr. Smith checked himself over to be sure that he was all there. But neither of the teens reacted with any surprise whatsoever. Penny took a deep breath, and said, "Oh, that smells so good! I've had pizza before. But it had been frozen and heated up in the Alpha Control kitchen. I've never had pizza that had just been made before!"

"I'm sure that you'll like it, Dearie," said Mr. Gold affably.

Dr. Smith also took in the aroma, and – ever the gourmet - commented that the baking smells were heavily scented with garlic and oregano.

"When Henry's mom cast the, ah, 'spell' that brought everyone from Fairy Tale Land into this world; it remade our village in the style of the local patterns where we came through.

"Here in Maine, the local pizza is heavily Greek influenced. Now, I warn you two," Mr. Gold nodded to Dr. Smith and Penny, "that the pizza is baked in an oiled pan until the cheese is molten. So as tempted as you might be to dig right in, at least let me use a bit of magic to cool it down, first."

A waitress arrived and took their order. Mr. Gold kept everyone occupied by asking question after question directed at Dr. Smith and Penny about their adventures in space. Henry was no problem, as he kept his attention on Penny the whole time.

When the pizza that they ordered arrived, Mr. Gold waved his hand over the steaming pan, covering it in a light, purple smoke. When the smoke cleared, Mr. Gold said, "Alright everyone, it's safe to eat without burning the roof of your mouths, now."

As they ate, Mr. Gold smiled as he watched Henry and Penny. The two teens smiled at each took as an idea struck them both at once. They each took a piece of pizza, and fed each other as though they were eating their first piece of wedding cake. Just as I thought. True Love! Just like Henry's maternal grandparents have. How rare . . . . How priceless . . . .

When they were finished eating, Mr. Gold smiled at the teen lovers, and said, "What if I told you that there is a way for Penny's family to fulfill their mission for their realm's Earth that will not only allow the two of you to be together, but to be able to remain in contact with both of your families as well as make life easier for the people of Penny's Earth in the bargain . . . ?"

Henry took Penny's hand and smiled. "See, Penny? What did I tell you!" Henry then turned to Mr. Gold, and said, "What exactly do you have in mind . . . grandpa?"

"Well, I'll come right to the point, Henry. I would like for you and Penny to bring me the magic bean from the probe rocket that her family plans to use to open a portal to their realm's Alpha Centauri. That way, they will be temporarily unable to leave Storybrooke."

Penny said, "You mean steal the magic bean, don't you, Mr. Gold?"

"I prefer to think of it as borrowing it until such time as it may be replaced," said Mr. Gold. "Replaced many times over, as a matter of fact."

"And when would that be?" said Penny.

"Why, until such time as the one you bring us has been planted and more magic beans are grown, Dearie," said Mr. Gold amenably.

Dr. Smith added, "You see, Penny, it's really quite simple. If you bring us the bean, then when the probe is launched, it shall explode harmlessly over Storybrooke without making a portal. Your family will assume that the bean in the probe was a "dud" and will then have no choice but to return.

"Then, once the beans grown from the one currently in the probe are ready to be harvested, we can "discover" them, and present them to your family. And then, not only will they have the capability of completing their mission, but also the ability to remain in contact with Storybrooke. Then there will be no obstacle in your way to marrying Henry and starting a family with him . . . once you are older, of course."

Mr. Gold smiled. "It's a win/win situation for all involved, including the billions from Your Earth, Penny."

Henry thought for a moment, and said, "That sounds like a very good idea, grandpa. But I have a better one. Let's just tell Penny's mom and dad and my moms what you suggested! That way, we won't have to steal the bean, much less lie to my future in-laws!"

"Oh, how noble and naïve of you, Prince Henry," said Dr. Smith shaking his head. "But you just don't know Professor Robinson," he rolled his eyes dismissively, "or Major West, like I do.

"Do you really want to take the chance that they will accept this solution? I think not. No, they will not want to risk the only magic bean that they have on an idea that, no matter how tempting it may be all around, may not work."

Mr. Gold added, "And even if Professor Robinson believes the idea to be a sound one, He will not want to wait in Storybrooke for several more months while the people of his Earth are counting on your family to help them, Penny.

"I mark your father as the kind of man who will not want to delay his mission for even a single minute, even at the expense of his own daughter's happiness. Believe me, Dearie, our idea is the best all around." Mr. Gold held his hand palm up. A small puff of purple smoke and a magic bean appeared in his hand.

"Now, I need the two of you to get aboard the Jupiter 2 later on this evening while everyone else is having dinner and replace the real magic bean with this copy. Henry can then bring me the real magic bean later. I will then ask Anton – our local magic bean-growing expert - to assist me in growing more. Once that is done, Penny's family may complete their mission and a permanent bridge between Storybrooke and the Alpha Centauri of the Land of Yesterday's Tomorrows will be built."

"Think of it," said Dr. Smith. "Once that there are a surfeit of magic beans available, the two of you may visit each other daily, if you so choose. In addition, the people of our world will be able to grow magic beans as well, allowing them to move people as well as material from Earth to Alpha Centauri quicker and far more efficiently than we may do at the present with our Jupiter-Class Interstellar Spacecraft. Even the Taurons with their vaunted Maser beam matter teleporter shall be envious of us!"

Henry said, "But if we tell Penny's parents what you just said about your people growing magic beans, I'm sure that he will agree to –"

"Do you really want to take that chance, Dearie?" said Mr. Gold. "Aye, what Dr. Smith says is not only reasonable, but in the long run will be better off for Penny's Earth. But, as he also pointed out, Penny's father is a 'bird-in-the-hand' sort of man who will not want to gamble with his only available magic bean.

"Henry, Penny, here is my simple and straightforward deal with you: if you bring me the magic bean from the Jupiter 2, I promise that the two of you shall be together, forever."

Henry and Penny gave each other a quick glance, then turned back to Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith, and said simultaneously, "We'll do it."

Mr. Gold smiled and handed the fake magic bean to Henry for safekeeping. "The two of you have made an excellent decision. Not just for yourselves, but for everyone else as well!"

After paying the waitress, Mr. Gold waved his hand and teleported Henry and Penny to the sidewalk in front of Granny's Diner. He then teleported himself and Dr. Smith back to where he left his car on the road near the beach. The two men got in, and Mr. Gold drove them back to his shop.

"There are some items that I will want to take with us when we leave for the Enchanted Forest, Dr. Smith. Many of these are enchanted items that I will have a need for. In addition, my wife Belle and my, ah, servant – a Mr. Killian Jones - shall be joining us.

"Now, while Mr. Jones knows of my plans, my wife does not, and I would like it to be a surprise for her. So when we are in my shop, mums the word."

"Never fear. Smith is here!"

Mr. Gold, who had spent the night before reviewing the "Lost in Space" DVD, let out a groan. "Now, why don't I find that thought particularly reassuring . . . ?"

Neither man said anything more until they got to Gold's Pawnbroker and Antiques shop. When they got inside, a man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, who had a hook in place of a left hand, was there to greet them. Mr. Gold promptly introduced Dr. Smith to Killian Jones, who was also locally known by the moniker, Captain Hook.

Curiosity got the better of Dr. Smith, who somewhat uneasily asked, "Ah, Mr. Jones, if you don't mind my asking, sir. Would you happen to be a . . . a pirate by trade?"

"Aye." Killian raised an eyebrow, and said, "Why so nervous, mate? Never met a pirate before?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I have met a pirate before. Tell me, Mr. Jones, are you familiar with a seafaring gentleman named A. P. Tucker?"

"Can't say as I've ever heard of him."

"Well, he's a pirate, too."

"Ah. And I suppose that means that I needs must either know him or of him, is that right?"

"Well, I was just wondering if your paths had ever crossed, that's all."

"Oh, so?" Killian replied. "Well, tell me something, mate. "Have you ever "crossed-paths" with the likes of Dan Dare, Perry Rhodan, Jason of Star Command, or any other such adventurer from the Realms of Sci-Fi ?"

"Uh, no, I can't say that I have ever had the pleasure," said Dr. Smith. "But I do take your point, and I meant no offense, ah, Captain. But if I may say, I do so object to the term, "Sci-Fi." I'm sure that neither of you would want me to refer to you as, "Fa-Ta," after all."

"Well," said Mr. Gold. "Now, I would not speak of those from our Realm of Storytelling in such a manner, and neither should you, my good doctor. After all, you will be one of us by this time, tomorrow, when we return to the Enchanted Forest and I set you up as Lord of your new Manor."

"Quite so, my good man," said Dr. Smith smiling thinly. "I can hardly wait."

"Now, just to be clear," said Mr. Gold. "You can fly the Jupiter 2, once we are all aboard?"

"Indeed, I can," said Dr. Smith with a touch of indignation. "I told you as much."

Then, Mr. Gold turned to Killian, he added, "I trust that everything I intend to take with us is ready to be loaded aboard the Jupiter 2 when the time comes?"

"Aye," replied Killian. "All the items that you want to bring with you are in one place, and ready to be brought aboard."

"Now, why are you so glum, Hook?" said Mr. Gold with a smile. "I have, after all, decided not to crush your heart once we arrive; something that I would have done had I followed-through with my original plan to cleave myself from the Dagger, before the fortuitous arrival of our visitors."

"You're too kind, Crocodile," said Killian dryly. "And pray tell, what will Belle say when she awakens in the Enchanted Forest instead of Storybrooke on the morrow?"

"Leave that to me," said Mr. Gold. "I think that she will like where we are going – back to my castle and its extremely well-stocked library."

Dr. Smith said, "I still don't understand why we do not simply leave now. Let me assure you that I have no need of Penny to assist me with flying the Jupiter2. And what possible use will young Prince Henry Mills have to offer?"

Mr. Gold smiled, and said, "I made a deal with my grandson and his charming True Love, Miss Penny Robinson. I intend to fulfill my part of the bargain, and then collect my payment."

"And what payment would that be, sir?"

"Magic," said Mr. Gold. "The most powerful magic known in all of the Realms, my good doctor; the magic of True Love. And not only from Henry and Penny, but also from the resulting . . . products of said True Love. And soon, they will be all mine . . . ."

Outside of Granny's Diner, Henry and Penny, taking care to keep away from the windows, hugged each other. Penny said, "I just wish that we could tell our families what Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith just told us."

"So do I," said Henry. "But grandpa and Dr. Smith are right; we can't afford to take any chances."

"Oh, Henry, do you really think that this will work and we can stay together and get married?"

Henry gave Penny a gentle kiss on her lips, and said, "Penny, by this time, tomorrow, the hardest decision that we'll have to make is whether we want everyone to refer to us as "Henny" or "Pennry" when they see us together!"

When Henry and Penny entered Granny's Diner, they told their families that they had a long discussion about why the Robinsons had to leave Storybrooke. And that while they did not like the idea of being separated, never to see each other again; both teens said that they understood the reason, and wanted to help in any way that they could.

So Henry Mills and Penny Robinson were given a list of supplies that needed to be brought to the Jupiter 2, and set to work filling it as best as they could. At Professor Robinson's request, to avoid any accidental damage, no one from Storybrooke would be permitted to board the Jupiter 2. So while Professor Robinson and Major West made the Jupiter 2 ready for launch, Maureen, Judy and Will loaded the supplies being brought to the ship by the people of Storybrooke.

The provisioning of the Jupiter 2 took the entire afternoon and was not finished until nine o'clock that night. Although everyone was tired, they decided to have dinner at Granny's Diner before going to bed. The plan was to be awake at six in the morning, have a final breakfast at Granny's, and then leave for the Alpha Centauri of their Realm no later than nine. Granny even promised to make them a traditional "Astronaut's Breakfast" of steak, eggs and toast before they departed Storybrooke.

After a wonderful dinner of Granny's famous lasagna, Henry nodded to Penny, and asked her parents' permission to take Penny for one last stroll on the beach before they had to leave the next morning.

Professor Robinson checked his wristwatch, and said, "I suppose that it would be alright, Henry. Just be sure to have Penny back at Granny's Bed and Breakfast no later than 11:00 pm. We hope to leave early in the morning."

After being excused, the two teens left the diner in the direction of the beach. But as soon as they were out of sight of Granny's Diner, they went around the block in the direction of the Town Hall where the Jupiter 2 was ready for lift-off.

"Do you have the fake bean, Henry?" said Penny nervously.

Henry nodded, patting his shirt pocket. "How long will it take you to switch them out, Penny?"

"Not long. I have to shut off the power to the probe launch controller, and then open the probe's payload bay to switch out the beans. The whole thing should not take any longer than ten minutes.

"Oh, Henry, I hate having to lie to mom and dad!"

"I do, too," said Henry solemnly. "I mean, they are going to be my in-laws."

As they approached the Jupiter 2, neither Henry Mills nor Penny Robinson noticed that they were being followed. Will Robinson was pretty good at not being seen, and it was a good thing, too, because Penny and "Prince" Henry sure did not look like they were headed towards the beach. From the way they were headed, Will knew that they could only be going to where the Jupiter 2 had landed in front of Storybrooke Town Hall.

One thing that Will knew for sure was that Penny and her boyfriend were up to something. Fortunately, the Robot was standing guard outside of the Jupiter 2. So for now, Will decided to keep back and see what happened next.

Sure enough, when Henry and Penny got to the Jupiter 2, the Robot would not let them pass.

"Unauthorized personnel are not permitted aboard Jupiter 2," said the Robot.

Penny said, "Robot, you know that this is Prince Henry Mills the First of Storybrooke. He's never seen the inside of a real spaceship before, and I want to give him a quick tour. You will permit him to come aboard the Jupiter 2."

Again, the Robot reiterated that Henry could not come aboard. But Penny had been expecting this and nodded to Henry, who moved away from her. The Robot swiveled to follow the boy's movements, just as Penny knew that he would.

"Negative," said the Robot. Unauthorized persons not permitted aboard Jupiter 2."

Henry smiled and nodded. "It's alright, Penny. I understand." Then pointing to the panel on the Robot's chest plate, Henry said, "Uh, hey, Mr. Robot? I think that your "check engine" light just came on."

"That does not compu – ughhhhh!" The Robot slumped over as Penny removed its power pack. The girl from the Land of Yesterday's Tomorrows set the power pack on the landing gear pad, and she and her Fairytale Prince scampered up the landing leg's stairs.

Once aboard, Penny said, "The access panel for the probes is over there. I'll need to get some tools to open it."

Before Penny could get the toolkit, Henry smiled, took Penny in his arms and they hugged and kissed again, lost in each other until a voice said, "This doesn't look like the beach, sis!" Both teens rounded to the source of the voice, and saw Will Robinson leaning against a bulkhead.

"Will!" said Penny. "What are you doing here? Were you following us?"

"Yeah, and it's a good thing I was, too," said Will. "I put the power pack back in the Robot, and sent him to get mom and dad. Then I decided to follow you inside the Jupiter 2 to make sure that His Royal Majesty Prince Henry doesn't touch anything that he shouldn't be touching!"

"WILL ROBINSON, HOW DARE YOU!" gasped Penny.

Will rolled his eyes. "I meant the control panels of the Jupiter 2, sis." Will then stared daggers at Henry. "But since you brought it up . . . ."

Before anyone could say anything else, the lower entry door closed and sealed itself. Then a low rumble followed by a whining sound started and got louder by the moment. Penny and Will looked at each other in surprise.

Henry Mills said, "W-what's happening?"

"The engines are starting!" said Will. "Liftoff sequence is beginning!"

Penny went up the ladder partway, took a quick look, and then came back down. "We've got to strap ourselves in; the ship is taking off! Will, help me get Henry into an acceleration couch!"

"Is it Dad and Don?" said Will as he helped Penny get Henry strapped in. "They didn't tell me that they were going to take the ship for a test flight."

When Henry was secure, Will and Penny began strapping themselves in for takeoff. Penny said, "It's not Dad and Don. I saw Dr. Smith and Mr. Gold at the flight controls. I also saw Belle and Captain Killian Jones in the freezing tubes!"

Then the three kids felt the Jupiter 2 lift off the ground; its landing legs retracting with a solid "thunk." Will turned to Henry and said, "Listen up, Your Highness. We just lifted-off. Any minute now, we are going to start pulling three to four "G's." That means that you will feel three to four times heavier than normal."

"I know that much from science class," said Henry.

"Shut up, Your Majesty; you know nothing!" said Will. "Lie as still as you can and breathe as shallow and as steadily as you can. Don't try to say anything or unstrap yourself until I say so!" Will then said to Penny, "I bet your boyfriend blacks-out less than two minutes past Max-Q!"

Henry tried to reply, but found that he could barely move. Even turning his head was difficult. The next thing that he knew, he saw Penny looking over him, shaking his shoulders as Will removed Henry's seat harness. "I told you he'd black out, sis."

Penny said nothing as she helped Henry out of the acceleration couch. She hugged him, and though every part of him ached, it felt good.

"Where are we?" said Henry.

"Where do you think we are, Prince Henry?" said Will. "We're in Low Earth Orbit! Look out the viewport!" Will Robinson activated a switch and the lower viewport opened up to reveal a panorama of stars and galaxies with the curve of a blue Earth below.

Henry looked in awe as he and Penny went over to the viewport for a better look. Henry shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously . . . ?"

Then something hit Henry. "Wait, if we are in space, then how come we're not floating around? Shouldn't we be weightless if we are in Zero Gravity, or something . . . ?"

"It's called artificial gravity, Your Highness," said Will. "We've had it on our spaceships since our 1980's. This world could probably have had it, too, if it wasn't too busy developing "important" stuff like "Atari." Oh, and by the way, "Prince" Henry, it's called "Micro-gravity;" not "Zero-Gravity."

"Look, Will," said Henry. "I get it that you don't like me, much less like seeing me with your sister. But you'd better get used to it because we are in love with each other and we want to get married someday. This means that you are going to be my brother-in-law and uncle to our children!"

"What are you talking about?" said Will. "You know that we can't stay here, Henry! If you've talked Penny into doing something bad . . . ."

But before Will could continue, Dr. Smith's voice came over the intercom, and said, "William? Is that you? Oh, how unfortunate. Please believe me that it was not our intention to bring you along with us."

"What are you talking about Dr. Smith?" Will then rounded to Henry, and said, "Did you convince my sister to run away with you, because if you did . . . ."

"Now, now, William," said Dr. Smith. "If the three of you fine youngsters would only join us on the flight deck, all may be explained."

Henry and Penny took the elevator as Will clambered up the stairs. Once on the flight deck, Will said, "What's going on here, Dr. Smith? Why did you steal the Jupiter 2?" "And why is Mr. Gold and his wife and friend aboard?"

Mr. Gold snorted, and said, "Killian Jones is no friend of mine, William. I brought him with me because he still owes me a debt that can never be repaid, and I mean to collect on it!"

"Where are we going, Mr. Gold?" said Will. "Where are you taking us?"

"We're going to a Realm known as the Enchanted Forest, William," said Mr. Gold. "Where I shall once again resume my role as the Dark One!"

"What about Dr. Smith?" said Will. "Why is he coming with you?"

"Well, now, Dearie," said Mr. Gold. "You really don't think that I can fly a spaceship, now do you? "

"But why do you want the Jupiter 2? My family needs it to go to Alpha Centauri to help the people of Our Earth!"

"But I have an even greater need, boy!" said Mr. Gold. "As the Dark One, I have tremendous magical powers! But with the technology on board the Jupiter 2, I shall be even more formidable! Besides, there are many things that I wanted to take with me. Magical items from my shop that are priceless and irreplaceable. Believe me, Dearie, they are more than I can carry on my own!"

Henry said, "Then why did you send Penny and me to get the bean for you? You said that you wanted to grow more so that Penny's family could go to Alpha Centauri and still stay in contact with Storybrooke?"

"You were going to steal the magic bean?!" said Will. But the others ignored him.

Mr. Gold shook his head, "Oh, Henry! It should be obvious to you by now that I wanted the two of you on board for the magic power that you – or, rather, your True Love for each other – can give me."

Penny said, "But you promised that Henry and I would be together, forever!"

"That I did, Dearie! And I never go back on a deal! But if you will remember, Penny, my promise was that the two of you would be together forever! I said nothing about where you would be together, forever!"

"You did!" countered Penny. "You said that when the magic bean aboard the Jupiter 2 was planted, that we would have a never-ending supply of portal making beans and that Henry and I could keep in touch with each other and our families!"

"If we decided to plant them!" said Mr. Gold. "But that was not part of our deal, now was it, Dearie? Now, as to the aforementioned payment . . . ."

Penny moved closer to Henry, but she never took her eyes off of Mr. Gold. "Henry told me who you really were, back in the Enchanted Forest in Fairy Tale Land. You are Rumpelstiltskin. Are you going to demand that we give you our firstborn child?"

Mr. Gold smiled. "Ah, no, not that, Dearie. I don't need to make any deals to see my own great-grandchildren! When we get to the Enchanted Forest, let me tell you about the concept of "free milk and a cow."

Henry said, "Then what do you want from us, grandpa?"

"Why, only to harvest some of your True Love magic," said Mr. Gold. "I bottled True Love from Prince Charming and Snow White, and I can do it from the two of you, as well! I can also harvest powerful magic from your children, who will be the Products of said True Love! That should settle any debt that you two fine young people may owe me for keeping you from being separated by your families!

"So, the first thing that we will do upon our arrival in the Enchanted Forest will be to find a priest to officiate at your wedding so that you can get right to work on those little Products of True Love as soon as possible! Oh, and just in case you are wondering, you are both old enough to get married where we are going!

"Now, I suppose that I should also say that the Enchanted Forest is a somewhat primitive place by your standards, Penny. The medical technology there is somewhat . . . Medieval. Naturally I shall hire the best midwives in the Realm that money can buy. I'll even bring in the best doctors from far off Agrabah. That said, there will still be a pretty good chance that you will die in childbirth during your first attempt, but that is a risk that I am willing to take!

"And besides, if worst comes to worst, I'll still be able to get something for Henry by marrying him off to some local nobleman's daughter for political reasons. He is a prince, after all . . . ."

"Let us go, grandpa!" said Henry as fiercely as he could. He took a step forward, putting himself protectively between Penny and Mr. Gold.

"Ah, no can do!" said Mr. Gold. He nodded to Dr. Smith, who smiled and nodded back. Then Mr. Gold pressed the probe launch button, and said, "Next stop, the Enchanted Forest!" When the probe carrying the magic bean did not launch, Mr. Gold pressed the button again, harder. But still, the probe did not launch. Mr. Gold rounded to Dr. Smith, and said, "What's wrong? Why isn't the rocket launching?"

Dr. Smith smiled and said, "Probably because I disabled the launcher, Mr. Gold. You see, while I cannot safely stay in Storybrooke, I have no desire to go to some benighted, medieval world to live-out the rest of my days. I, for one, happen to like air conditioning in summer and central heating in winter, to say nothing of indoor plumbing." Dr. Smith then drew a laser pistol, pointed it at Mr. Gold, and said, "Now, my good man. Would you be so kind as to step into one of those freezing tubes . . . ?"