Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 2, Chapter 4

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

An odd sound from her backyard caught Regina's attention. She went outside to find Emma Swan with a chainsaw cutting down a large branch from her prize Honey Crisp apple tree. Right then and there the two had an altercation, with Emma swearing that no matter what Regina tried to do to her, she would never back down. Regina was furious and called the sheriff to arrest her again.

~O~

Returning to the work site, Claire was pleased to see Valerie still working, though she had done very little in Claire's absence. Tina disembarked from the vehicle and went to work. She grabbed a nail magnet and began sweeping the area, picking up nails and other loose metals lying on the ground. It was a safety issue that Claire took very seriously.

One day a few years ago Claire called Charlie to meet him for lunch. He informed her that he was at the hospital. Apparently, he took a break to cool off and received a deep puncture in his thigh. A rusty nail was hiding in the grass and pierced his skin when he sat down. Charlie had to get a tetanus shot. Days later he returned to the hospital with a secondary infection resulting from the puncture.

Although Tina was very adept with most hand tools, this was always her first task when she came to work directly after school.

About an hour later Claire answered a call on her cell phone. The person on the other line told her that their sewer line was backing up. A plumber had come out and discovered that roots had invaded the aging pipe. The only option was to dig up and replace the old sewer pipe that ran from the house to the city line. She accepted since she desperately needed the job. With all of her labor tied up at this renovation project, Claire jumped into her truck and drove out to the other side of town to find more day laborers.

Two young men, one tall and fat with dark hair and a dim look on his face; the other short and skinny with a shock of red hair and wearing Coke Bottle glasses, stood out. They were front page news earlier in the year. The two were city employees working for the Department of Public Works. One Friday night they had too much to drink at The Rabbit Hole and on the walk home decided to have a light saber duel… with a pair of back hoes.

They were fired and faced still financial penalties for damaging city property. After the news article made their antics public knowledge, no one dared hire them as permanent employees. Now they lined up for day labor work every morning and they took whatever odd jobs they could find. Claire, not wanting to scare off her new client, passed them over.

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (Approx. 950 A.D.)

Queen Clarion arrived at the border in the Autumn Forest, just as Lord Milori's note had requested. The winter fairies had departed for the mainland and he wanted some alone time with his beloved Ree. The queen wore a shawl. The autumn air was crisp and cool. She flew up to the border bridge, but there was no sign of him.

She called out to him. "Lord Milori. Lord Milori, I'm here as you requested."

Nothing. Not even a hello. "Milori, where are you?"

Still nothing. She waited for several minutes. Perhaps he was busy with something and couldn't make it. Clarion hovered near the border and peered across into the snowy world of the Winter Woods. She called out to him one or two more times before turning around to go back to the Pixie Dust Tree. Just as she was about to leave, Clarion noticed snowflakes falling around her.

"Snow? In the Autumn Forest?" She looked up and saw the Lord of Winter, standing on a tree limb making the flurries that were falling around her.

"I've been waiting," he said with a wicked smile.

Clarion was stunned and deeply worried for him.

"Milori! What are you doing? You're out of your season!" she said. "You must go back before your wings break."

"My wings feel just fine," he answered with a touch of whimsy in his voice.

"What?" Clarion flew up to him and settled on the branch. "You must go back, hurry. Hurry! You don't know how long before something terrible happens."

"Do not worry, my love, I've done this before," he admitted.

Clarion was shocked beyond all reason by what he said. "What do you mean you've been here before? When?"

After their skating date, Milori reasoned that if the air in the Autumn Forest was cool enough, it might allow winter fairies to cross into that season. At least for a little while. So he tried it, staying for a few minutes. Where the autumn air was cool and crisp to warm weather fairies, it felt warm and lite to a winter fairy. During this first excursion, he felt no ill effects and his wings never wilted or appeared to be in any danger.

A few days later, he tried it again, staying longer. The end result was the same. Milori experimented on several occasions, extending the length of his visit each time. He discovered that a winter fairy could be reasonably safe for about one hour before his or her wings began to feel any ill effect.

"We aren't confined to the border any longer, Ree," he told her.

Clarion looked as though a prayer had been answered. Several emotions ran wild through her heart. She started to cry, tears of joy and happiness streaking down her lovely cheeks.

"Now then, why don't you show me more of your world?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"I would love to," she answered. The two lit off, the queen acting as his guide through the Autumn Forest.

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Back at the Inn, Emma was told she had to leave. Granny explained that city had an ordinance barring felons from renting a room at any inn or hotel.

"Let me guess, the mayor called to remind you," Emma replied.

Emma took what few things she owned to her yellow VW Beetle only to find it booted. This could only be the doing of one person: Regina. Her cell phone rang. Speak of the devil. The mayor wanted to talk with Emma at her home, to make peace.

Earlier Regina demanded that Sheriff Graham arrest Emma for what she had done to the Mayor's apple tree. Graham, however, pleaded with Mayor Mills that arresting Ms. Swan would only strengthen her resolve. He also suggested that if she kept up this war, Henry would end up caught in the middle.

Regina welcomed Ms. Swan into her home and escorted her to the office. She expressed concern that Emma had intended to take Henry away from her and leave. Emma quieted her fears by telling her that she was only concerned about the boy's well-being, particularly in regards to his fairy tale theory, which Emma admitted sounded crazy.

"You think I'm crazy?"

Emma swung around and saw Henry, looking hurt and betrayed, standing behind her. She tried to explain herself, but he wanted none of it. Emma was incensed, she had been setup. Regina knew Henry's daily schedule and planned for Ms. Swan to be in her office where her son could hear their conversation. Getting Emma to say Henry was crazy with him listening would drive a wedge between them. One that would put so much distance between her son and Emma that it would force Ms. Swan to leave Storybrooke in defeat. The big smile on her face revealed how confident Regina was in her endgame. If she could, she would have run a victory lap.

~O~

The sun hung low in the western sky. The shorter autumn days prevented Claire from getting too much work done at the new job site. Her choices of day labor started digging as soon as they got there, but when the workday ended, each demanded full pay for the entire job upfront. She paid them only for the hours they worked and nothing more. She hated those kinds of people. Pay them in full and you will never see them again. Tomorrow she would have to find new help.

On the way to the renovation house to pick up her two girls, Claire stopped at the grocery store and bought a few things to make dinner. She included a half gallon of Rocky Road ice cream for dessert. She reasoned that offering some to Valerie was the lesser of two evils. Claire was exhausted and didn't want to provoke another tantrum from the girl.

When the three arrived at their home, Tina went to the dining room table to study, Valerie ran upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom and Claire took the bag of groceries into the kitchen. She sat down to catch her breath. Claire remembered what it was like when Charlie was still alive. He would come home late in the evening, exhausted from the long day, but always full of energy for his family. She and the two girls would run out to greet him and he would reciprocate by grabbing them into a giant bear hug.

"How are my best girls?" he would say to them. Every once in a while he would show up a little late with little gifts for his "best girls." A model airplane for Valerie, a toy for Tina and a rose or some chocolates for Claire. No matter how bad the day might have been, those kinds of moments always cheered her up.

Claire missed him so badly. She could use some of his cheering up right now.

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND

Milori held a cube of ice delicately between his fingertips. Clarion wrapped her lips around it. Ice cold water slipped down her tongue. It was exquisite.

Clarion lay on her back, the green grasses providing a comfortable bed for her. Milori, laying on his side, hung over her. He slowly moved the cube of ice from her lovely red lips to her chin and down her neck. Freezing water melted from the ice cube and trickled down into her cleavage. She found it an incredibly sensual experience.

Milori and Clarion were enjoying their time together. Perhaps a little too much. More than an hour had passed since the Lord of Winter crossed over into the Autumn Forest. He did not feel any different, other than feeling warm outside from the air, and warm inside from being side by side with the love of his life.

So entranced were the two lovers that they did not notice their environment. They were no longer in the cool Autumn Forest. The green grasses and trees that surrounded them were part of the Spring Season.

"Shouldn't you be going back?" she finally asked him, saddened to have to say it.

"What's wrong, tired of me already?"

"Never, my darling. But we cannot risk your health."

"I've never felt better."

He leaned down and kissed her.

~O~

The day seemed so short, yet the sun was slipping lower into the late afternoon sky.

"It has been so long since you've been out of your season, Milori," she said. "You should go back before something terrible happens."

"You worry too much," he answered.

"I worry because I love you so. Now please, for my own peace of mind, let us go back to the border."

He sighed. Milori learned that there was no arguing with her. "Very well."

The Lord of Winter helped his beautiful queen and love to her feet. She took his hand and together they flitted off to the winter border. A few seconds after leaving the ground, Milori fell out of the air.

The Lord of Winter groaned, a few mild aches from her had landed on the ground. He laughed. "I guess we walk back to the Winter Woods."

He waited for Ree to make some kind of sharp remark. She said nothing. Instead, she hung in the air, her back turned to him.

"Oh no," he heard her say.

"Don't worry, I'm fit enough to walk all the way," he quipped.

"Milori, no." Her voice trembled with fear. Clarion turned around. Held between her hands was part of a gossamer fairy wing. She looked pained and horrified.

Milori held his wings aloft to examine them. One of them had broken.

She gasped. Clarion lost her composure. "No. No no no no no. Maybe we can fix it. Yes, we can fix it."

Ree rushed to his side. She put the broken wing back into place. "See, its fine. You're fine."

The fragment came loose and fell again. She grabbed it and tried to replace it. It fell out again. She kept trying, becoming more and more frantic. "No, no this can't be happening. It has to work. Why won't it stay put?"

"Ree, stop."

"No, we can fix this."

"No. Ree. That's enough."

"Winter. We need to get back to winter. The cold air will mend your wing. Hurry, hurry."

"CLARION, STOP!" he yelled, grabbing her arm. "Nothing can fix a broken wing. You know that."

It was true. She burst into tears, nearly collapsing to the ground. Milori grabbed her in his arms and cradled her tight against his body.

"It's my fault, I should never have let you cross into the warm seasons," she said through her crying.

"No, my love, the fault rests entirely with me," Milori confessed. "I should never have been so careless."

~O~

"What should I do?" Queen Clarion asked of her friend.

"This rule you've written sounds rather extreme," Mary answered. Mary, a tinker fairy, was the queen's oldest and closest friend, having known each other since Clarion was a young princess.

The rule Clarion had written would close the border permanently. Crossing would be forbidden. No face to face contact would be allowed. Not even when transferring the animals who needed to hibernate every year from Autumn into Winter. The warm and cold seasons of Pixie Hollow would forever be isolated from the other.

"I can't have another fairy or sparrow man lose their wings, Mary," Clarion said, looking and sounding numb. "But if I do this, I'll never see Milori again."

"And you'll be breaking up guilds and close friendships, too," the tinker added.

Many guilds had members on both sides of the border: animal, tinker, light, garden, cooking, scout and others. Warm guild members often met with their winter counterparts at the border crossing sites to talk about their work and share stories. Many close friendships were formed this way. Several fairies on both sides had voiced a desire to cross to the other side and experience what their friends knew on a daily basis. This is what scared Clarion so much. Would some daring fairy or sparrow man believe themselves to be so indestructible that they would cross over and suffer the same fate as Lord Milori?

She could not let that happen. Even if meant giving up the person she loved most.

"It will be a terrible sacrifice you two will have to make," Mary told the queen.

"I know, Mary, but it is something we will both have to do," Clarion told her. "Milori and I cannot allow our personal feelings to get in the way of protecting those who are under our care. This border rule must be enacted…, immediately."

Clarion shut her eyes tightly and began to weep. "I'm going to miss him so much."

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Young Henry Mills had retreated to the comfort of Dr. Hopper's office. He felt betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust with the secret of the curse. The one person he needed to believe him the most.

While they were talking, Emma came into the office to speak with Henry. She wanted to mend fences, but he wasn't in a mood for listening.

"You said I was crazy," Henry said accusingly. Emma admitted that she thought the curse was crazy. But that didn't mean it wasn't true. Henry had given his operation the code name "Cobra" because it had nothing to do with fairy tales. It was to keep his mother from finding what he was doing. Emma explained that she was doing the same thing to Regina, telling her what she need to hear to keep her in the dark.

The angry look on Henry's face changed into a beaming smile. "That's brilliant!" he said, commending her.

Then Emma took the pages Henry had torn out of the fairy tale book and tossed them into the fire. "These pages are dangerous," she said. They revealed her identity as the savior, the one who would break Regina's spell. They could not afford to let her find out.

~O~

After leaving Dr. Hopper's office, Emma paid a visit to Mary Margaret Blanchard to say thank you and pay back the bail money Ms. Blanchard spent to get her out of jail. Mary Margaret invited Emma inside for some hot cocoa. Ms. Blanchard offered her the cocoa with whip cream and cinnamon. This was how Mary Margaret took her cocoa. Strangely, this was also how Emma drank her hot cocao.

"Why did you bail me out of jail?" Emma asked of her host.

"I felt like we've met before," she admitted. This struck Emma as another strange coincidence, especially in light of the fact that Henry thought Mary Margaret was Snow White, Emma's mother.

~O~

Mr. Gold paid a visit to Regina, offering to help her get rid of Ms. Swan, "for a price."

Regina had no interest in making deals with him. He reminded her that she had made a deal with him before, when he found Henry for her to adopt.

"How did you come up with that name for your son?" he asked her, almost knowingly.

Regina couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she got the impression Mr. Gold was hiding something. That maybe he remembered who he really was.

~O~

Claire put Tina to bed, pulling the covers over her to keep her warm through the chilly autumn night. "Good night, sweetheart," she said, kissing the young one on her forehead.

"Goodnight, Mom," a sleepy Tina replied.

Next she tried to do the same for Valerie, but she was already asleep. Or maybe just pretending. In spite of all that happened today, Claire still made sure Val was tucked in warmly. She whispered, "Goodnight, sweetie," and kissed her on the temple.

She stopped and took one last look back into Val's room before closing the door. Claire was reminded of a conversation she had a few years ago with one of Charlie's close friends. It was long after her husband had passed away. The man said that Charlie had one regret in life.

"What was it?" she asked him.

"Now don't take this wrong way, but he said that in marrying you he stole your dream."

"My dream? What was he talking about?"

"Your desire to become a concert pianist," he replied. "A while back Charlie heard you playing the piano and realized that you were good enough to play in the big times. He felt responsible for taking all of that away from you."

In marrying Charles Valentine Kensington she gave up what she loved most. But in exchange she found something she loved even more: her two girls.

End of episode 2. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Thank you.