As they entered the shop, the tension was palpable in the air, could be Elsa's power taking over the atmosphere, but it was there, a chill crawling down the spine.
Elsa had been awfully quiet the whole ride, always looking out the window taking in the new environment, the homesickness settling in her stomach.
"Gold!" Regina called out "We need to talk!" she went in front of the counter.
"I can't believe I am saying this, but is good to see you Regina, I have a problem and you might be just the person to fix it" he answered before coming in sight. "It has to do with the weather" he limbed to the counter "is old business that might cause me serious problems, is about…" he looked forward meeting gazes with Elsa "Oh" he evaded her blue eyes "I take you had met"
"You could say that"
"So you know her" declared Emma.
"Yes" he said softly "How you been Queen? My memory served me well, you haven't changed at all"
"Thy face is not green" she answered dryly raising an eyebrow.
"New world, new man, dearie" he exhaled "How did you follow us here?"
Elsa's expression was cross and confused "How am I supposed to answer what you have done to me? I demand you to return me home!" ice spikes were shot towards the ceiling hitting various objects as Elsa instinctively moved Henry out of the way as they fell.
"I see your powers haven't improved over the years" smiled Gold faintly "I will charge you for that, by the way Regina" he walked over the objects and toward them "I didn't brought you here, Snow Queen, that would be the very last thing I would want to do"
"Then why am I here?" her voice was a bit shaky as she freed Henry's shoulder recognizing how close she had been to hurt him.
"I can sincerely say I have no idea" he scratched behind his neck "I can barely remember the day the vase was missing"
"W-what? Wait" stuttered Emma "What are you talking about?"
"True, I…trapped Elsa and…kept in confinement for…very long, but I…I can't remember what happened to the urn in which she was held my prisoner"
"Why was she your prisoner?"
"Too much power for such a young sorceress, too many emotions, too childish, too-"
"Too repressed to be trusted" said Elsa just what he was about to say "I remember" her eyes were full of resentment as the image crossed her mind "I…I went to you, when the trolls said they couldn't help me, you said you could fix this" she held her hands out "that you could get rid of my curse. To protect my sister, to save my Kingdome, to honor my parents"
"You were so desperate to please everyone around you that you willingly came to me, The Dark One, the-one-who-can't-be-trusted. You wanted to give up one of the greatest magic powers I had seen since Regina and Zelena, I couldn't allow that"
"That was my decision to make"
"And you did it, I got rid of your power, I got rid of you" he pointed coldly
"What happened to Anna? Where is my sister?"
"Where everything else is, Dear, in deep, deep, deep, snow"
"Liar, that can't be true" as she tried to keep her voice firm, her eyes failed to help her keep calm.
"Then again she didn't come to this land and you can't go back to Arendelle"
"There is always a way" she bitted her lower lip tenderly "What is your price?"
Gold seemed interested in the offer, but Regina knew better than that to let her do it.
"No, don't go there" she stepped in front of the young woman facing Gold "How come she is here now and not before?"
"I will get tired of repeating myself. I don't know. I had the urn in my chest, with all the other magic that I can't control and suddenly one day it was gone"
"Wait, the horrid dark coffer, where you had a mirror, tons of different stories and other stuff?"
"Now how would you know that?"
"I…when Hook and I were in the past, we might had been there and, he started to wonder around and he grabbed a…a jar or something and put it on a table and when the portal open…" her eyes went wide "Oh my gosh, please tell me you didn't appear in the barn"
Elsa was impressed and nodded her answer "I was transported to a place like it, with a strange symbol on the ground"
"Oh my gosh!" she went pale "I think Hook and I brought you here"
"What?" question Elsa looking wound at her
"What are you saying Miss Swan?"
"You brought me here?" asked incriminatingly.
"Not intentionally, when we opened the portal to come back…the vase most had come with, I'm so sorry" she covered her mouth.
"But if you hadn't she would still be a prisoner" interrupted Henry trying to bring peace to her mind.
"How can I get back to Arendelle?"
"Only the person that opened the portal can do it again"
"I don't think I can put up a stunt like that again!" interjected Emma.
"Then we find another way" said evenly Regina "Let's go, we have nothing else to do here" she grabbed the young woman's shoulder turning her around.
"Queen Elsa, wouldn't you like to learn how to improve your powers before you go back home?" asked Rumple mischievously "I could…teach you in return for a favor"
"What favor?"
"Same as it always been"
Her eyes twitched as a small snow flurry crossed the room "I rather die"
"I will teach you to control your magic" intervened Regina with the new offer "Nothing in return, just advice from one queen to another"
"And why would you do that?" asked the Dark One
"I was able to get some lessons thru Miss Swan's thick skull, I believe she has as much potential"
"Dear Lord, don't take her to a bridge" pleaded Emma.
"What's in for you, Regina?" asked Rumplestinskin
"Nothing, because that is what heroes do" said Henry defensibly
Regina smiled proudly " Now if you excuse us, we have things to do"
"Rumple, what's going on?" came the sweet voice of Belle "What are you all doing here?" she asked politely acknowledging the guests.
"Nothing, love, just talking about old business and seeing some…old friends" he offered a smile.
Elsa looked up and down the new woman and instantly put the pieces together "I see you got another innocent woman under your spell" said Elsa in an irritated, yet sorrowful tone.
"Excuse me, have we met? Who are you?" she tried to smile but was unable to do so.
"I'm no one and luckily we have never met, because otherwise it would be hurtful to say this, but if you are his wife, as I suspect you are, then you shall never give him a child"
"How dare you say that?" reclaimed Belle offended.
"Because he is so desperate to have one again that he would do anything" shook her head "Ask him yourself"
"What is she talking about?" looked at her husband but he didn't answer.
"You deserve better" was the last Elsa said to Belle before walking out to the reassuring winter air breathing deeply trying to calm as she felt sick to her stomach.
"Well… that was interesting" smiled Regina "Come, breakfast is on me" entered the car along side the others.
Elsa looked at the car's door and to the woods "I rather not come" she said thru the open window "I don't think I'm ready to face large crowds"
"The Dinner will be practically desolated; no one will go out with this weather" said Emma, quickly withdrawing herself "What I meant to say…"
"I understand" she reassured "I just need some space to think"
"Do you know how to find your way home?" asked Henry, meaning by home, Regina's place, but it was clear Elsa thought of Arendelle, but she just shoved the idea aside and nodded her head wordlessly.
"Alright" said Regina handing her a phone "just call if you need anything"
Elsa took the weird rectangle looking foreign at it "What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Here" called Emma by the passengers seat "You unblock the screen like this" she slid her finger thru the display "and you dial to any of these numbers, one of us will answer thru the other side, if you have trouble, get tired or get lost, just call and we will pick you up" she motioned how to dial "And if you hear music, you just pick up by pressing this green key and put in next to your ear" she handed it over "But maybe you will need to be bare handed to do so, sorry, technology sucks" she smiled tenderly as she thought over how Hook and her had single handedly ruined this girls life by bringing her to modern times. She now wondered how come Regina hadn't cast a spell on her yet.
"Thank you" she exhaled sliding the phone in her pocket.
"Well, see you later" said Henry as the car started moving and they left the lonely silhouette standing in front of the Pawn Shop.
Regina just spied thru the mirror as they drove away.
"Is it a good idea to leave her alone?" asked worriedly Emma
"She deserves to have some space" she gazed for a last time before turning in the corner "And by the looks of it, she will go to the forest. No people there, more space and the closest thing to what she is used judging by the map she draw for Henry"
