"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and just no sister. You mark my words sister, if Emma is screwing Gold, then Archie is a cricket." Leroy said eating his morning bacon with beer.

"I'm telling you, she said he got her in the throes of passion 43 times." Ruby said.

"Ha, I'll believe it when I see Emma looking like a balloon. Gold's too old to get himself fu-"

"LEROY, if you finish that sentence, its $20 in the swear jar." Granny said.

"Fine, but still. It's. Not. Possible."

"Put your money where your mouth is?" Ruby asked.

"I will, if they come back and Emma has in fact been having more sex then you and I in the last year, then you and I have to go on a romantic date to the rabbit hole, with you in a sexy dress, sing karaoke and you pay, while telling everyone I am a very handsome devil, for a week, and you can't be drunk."

"Fine, and when I win, you have to go caroling as Santa, dress as a groundhog on groundhog's day, be Cupid and go and stand outside of Gold's house and sing love songs all night, a Leprechaun on St. Patrick's day, and dress as the Easter Bunny and hop all day handing out chocolate eggs and bunnies all day. And you can't get drunk while in costume either."

"And what happens when they find out about this bet?" Michal said, causing the culprits to yelp in surprise. "I mean, what if they find out and try to rig the bet, or worse, decide to rig your rent so you're homeless next month."

"You wouldn't tell, would you?" They both said.

"No, just food for thought, and if I'm right, the only food you'll be able to afford when this goes south." And with that Michal had left.

He had found the little bet amusing, but he had much bigger fish to fry, or in this case, fairies.

Covent

"Hello Mother Superior, and what a pleasant day it is today." Michal said.

"Yes, it is a wonderful day, and how are you Mr. Myrddin?"

"Oh, fine, fine." Michal went and looked out at the garden for a minute, he wanted her to ask him.

"Is there a reason you came." 'There you go'.

"Well, as it happens there is. You see, Madelyn went and said she saw a lovely, what she described almost like a wand here." He said trying to look uncomfortable. 'Come on, tell me to keep going'.

"I know we have some things that could be called wands back from the witch hunting days in the basement."

"Yes, well she said she was down there for some reason or another, saw a black wand, and for some reason wanted it. I don't suppose I could see if I could find it, and by extension have it if I did?"

"I'm not sure." The nun said. "It is technically an artifact from the old days."

"How about a trade then?" 'Take the bait, take the...'

"What would you suggest?"

"Well, I have an old wood bear carving in my basement, worthless to me, but the craftsmanship is impressive, and I would look perfect as a center piece. Can you imagine, a little black bear, standing on a small pedestal I could provide, standing there with his paws cupped in front of his chest, it would be adorable."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt, we can't really afford a center piece."

"Good, I have it in the car."

"You were very sure of yourself when you came."

"Oh yes, I had a bet going with myself. I won."

Michal's study

Every time he went and was nice, or even just not rude toward that stupid bug, Michal felt an over welling urge to shower. "I swear, one of these days I'm going to need to suck on salt when I visit her. All that sugar and sweetness can't be good for anyone."

"Visit the head nun again." Madelyn asked coming into the room and pouring some tea.

"Unfortunately."

"Why in earth do you go there if you hate them so much?"

"Because Gold needed a favor done, and he has far less restraint then I me." Michal said, drinking his tea, and then he made a sour face.

"You said you needed some salt." She said laughing.

"One of these days I'm going to skin you alive, crucify you, burn you at the stake, and then if your still breathing I'll start letting my anger get the best of me while I'm killing you."

"Ahh, you wouldn't, good help is so hard to find." She said smiling.

"I know, I'm still looking." He shot back trying to look angry.

"Yes, yes. So why do you even hate the nuns? Every time I ask you tell me to shut up and work."

"Yes, and why I bother trying to get you to actually work is beyond me. We hate the nuns, mostly Mother Superior, because she is a back stabbing busy body who should keep her nose out of things that don't concern her."

"Really, a nun is that bad, huh, and who hates her more?"

"Considering what she cost us, I'd say we hate her equally, Gold is just worse at not trying to wring her neck because of it."

"Yes, well if you ever need someone to take her out, I do need some spending money."

"Go practice some sharp shooting or something." Michal said. "And if you see Henry, tell him I'd like to talk to him."

Henry was walking around town, board without Emma, when he heard a loud thud coming for Michal's house, he then heard it again, and again, and again. 'What on earth is going on over there?' He wondered.

When he went into the back yard, he saw Madelyn pulling arrows from a target. "WOW." He said, causing the girl to turn around startled. "That. Is. Really. Really. Cool."

"Well thank you Henry, I'd offer to let you try, but I'm already in the dog house."

"What did you do?"

"I put salt in Michal's tea." She said laughing.

"Why on earth would you do that?" Henry said, also laughing.

"He said he needed to suck on some salt." Henry looked confused. "He visited Mother S today, put him in a bad mood. Said she was to sugary sweet for his likeing. He also said he wanted to see you. He's up in his study."

"Ok, thanks." And so Henry ran inside, but not before Madelyn hit a perfect bull's eye. Henry got up to the studies door and knocked. "Hello?"

"Yes, Henry, won't you come in." Michal said.

Henry went inside. "Hello Mr. Myrdin. Madelyn said you wanted to see me."

"Yes, would you take this paper and go outside after reading it please?"

"Um, sure." Henry said looking confused. He looked at the paper, all it said was "go into the study". Then Henry went out the door. 'Odd, what was he doing with a blank piece of paper.' He then looked behind him. "Oh, Mr Myrdin, Madely said you wanted to see me."

"Yes I do, and what have you got there my boy?"

"Oh, nothing, just a blank…" But as Henry went into the room, he stopped, suddenly remembering earlier. "Wait." He said. "It's not blank." He said looking at the paper with words on it again saying "go into the study". "But, I just saw it, how could I forget that?" He asked mostly to himself.

"Come sit down Henry, we have a lot to talk about." The old man said smiling, and for the first time, Henry notice the odd robes he was wearing.

Trump Tower, honeymoon suite, the bed room, in bed, a very messy bed.

Gold's phone was ringing; either that or a marching band had rented a room nearby. Note to self, never mix pain killers and alcohol. Who would have guessed all those warning labels actually knew what they were talking about.

"Hello… He's currently in bed… I may have worn him out last night… What's so funny?…Oh, come on, tell… fine, here he is. It's Michal, he' laughing up a storm on the other end." Emma said, handing Gold his cell, and a glass of water.

"Gold speaking, I think."

"Ruff night Gold." Michal asked.

"We were having a wonderful night, up until I fell on some ice and Emma had to put me in the Jacuzzi tub to try and help my leg, then she was naked, and the last thing I remember clearly was her giving me some pain killers and wine while straddling me."

"My heart bleeds for your unfortunate fate. And that of Leroy."

"What happened to Leroy?"

"Let's just say the next few holidays will be very entertaining." Gold could almost fell Michal's smug smile. "But I have some very good news."

"Oh really." Gold said taking a drink of water. "And what is that?"

"I got her to take the Bear."

Gold's headache suddenly vanished. "They have it."

"Yes."

"Well then." Gold sat back, letting a feeling of pure joy wash over him. "This is a very happy day."

"Want to know the icing on the cake?"

"What could be better than that?"

"I got her to trade, you are sitting down right?"

"I'm lying in a very messy bed right now, how's that?"

"Should work, I got her to give up the Dark Fairies' wand."

Gold dropped the phone, just as Emma came back in. "What, what did he say?" She asked a little concerned.

"Oh, nothing." Gold said, slowly reaching down to get the phone, still a little in shock. "Just some good news."

"I'll let you go. But I also talked to Henry in the study, so we should be able to use him, and if Emma asks why you dropped the phone, tell her Leroy is going to be Santa this year."

"All right Michal, you take care, by now." Gold said, still smiling as he hung up the phone. He then saw Emma eyeing him questioningly. "What?"

"while I'd like to think it was seeing me that caused the shocked look, I have a feeling it was something else."

"Let me put it this was, how do you feel about Leroy being Santa this year?"

"That would defiantly be an interesting experience. Why?"

"He wouldn't give me any details, which is frightening to say the least."

"Well, we could sit around thinking of all the reasons why Leroy of all people would be dressed as Santa, or we could do something far more fun."

"Oh, and what did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing much, a boat tour around The Statue of Liberty maybe, visit the Empire State Building."

"Well, you do realize that you will have to give me something in order for me to want to take you anywhere."

"Ok, and what did you have in mind."

Michal was sitting alone in his study. Looking at the fire place, drinking some very nice whiskey. Holding a small box in his lap.

The box was beautiful, with jewels incrusted outside, in looked like the box was pure gold, and it was. But the true value, at least to him, was the lock of fiery red hair in side.

It was nights like these he cursed that dame Fairy more than any other day. And cursed his own stupidity even more.

So, what did you think? Lots of stuff that is important later happened in this chapter.

1) What do you think is with the study?

2) What's with the hair?

3) What's with the Bear?

And just so you know, I have been dropping clues and foreshadowing the about the future of the story in this chap and the last one a lot, any tiny detail could be huge latter. Of course it could also be worthless, but you never know which.

Thank you for all the kind reviews. Also I have a new story. Ashes of the Dark One you should all really check out.

Thanks to lozzy035, GuestRoom, Guest, and of course Twyla Mercedes.