Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon a Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 4, Chapter 8

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Cinderella waited in the gardens, her belly swollen with her child. She didn't have to wait long for Rumpelstiltskin to show up. He was taking a nip of something when he made his presence known. Ella told him she wanted to alter their bargain, but Rumpelstiltskin reminded her that he didn't do that. A contract is a contract.

"I think you'll want to," she told the imp. "I'm having twins."

Surprised by this development, he tossed his glass aside and touched her belly. "Oooooh," he said gleefully at the prospect of another child he could take.

Ella told him that massive crop failings caused by poor soil and little water left her kingdom desperate, hungry and poor. She was willing to offer the other child if he could make the soil fertile again. All he had to do was sign his name to a new contract she provided for him.

"And you would give up your second child for… comfort?" he asked her.

"We can have more children, but one cannot grow crops when the soil is dead." She then produced the red quill for him to sign.

"What a lovely quill," he said, almost as if he knew. He warned her not to deceive him. She assured him that everything was proper. "Now do you want my child or not?"

"YES!" he said greedily. Rumpelstiltskin took the quill and signed his name to the contract. The moment he did he was enveloped in fairy magic that paralyzed him. He could not use his own dark magic to escape and was trapped.

"No one breaks deals with me dearie," he warned her. No matter how long it took, no matter what realm she went to he would find a way to get that baby from her. Prince Thomas and his men quickly appeared from their hiding places and locked up the imp in shackles that kept him from using his magic. He was put into a cart to be removed to his new prison.

Cinderella was relieved that her ordeal was over. He consoled her.

"How is our little Alexandria?" he asked, his palm lovingly placed across her belly. He had already selected a possible name for the baby.

"Alexandria? That sounds more like a prison sentence than a name," she joked. Then she started to feel poorly. Thomas went to the well to fetch water. While at the well, Thomas heard some rustling and thought it was Cinderella.

Moments later, Ella's sick feeling went away and she called out to Thomas. He did not answer. She went looking for him at the well, but he was not there. She recalled his statement that if there was a price to pay he would pay it for her. Cinderella went to Rumpelstiltskin who was now loaded into the cart. She asked him where Thomas was. The dark imp reminded her that he was chained and powerless now. Yet he indicated that he was involved in his disappearance by telling her that Cinderella would never see Thomas again until her debt was paid.

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Emma drove with abandon back towards Storybrooke. Ashley, however, wanted to be taken to Boston, but her contractions were coming faster and stronger.

"Oh no, we don't have four hours to go to Boston," Emma reminded the pregnant woman. The only hospital close enough was Storybrooke General. Even if meant Mr. Gold would be waiting for them there.

During the drive Ashley maintained that she didn't want to give up her baby. Not to Mr. Gold or Mitchell Herman or anyone. She was going to keep it. Emma believed that Ashley should be allowed to keep the baby. She was an adult and could make those decisions as an adult, no matter what others thought of her. But she explained to Ashley that babies were enormous responsibilities and that one had to be prepared to take on such a massive undertaking.

She told the pregnant girl how she wasn't ready for a child at eighteen and had to give hers away. Henry, who was in the backseat, knew he was that baby she had given up for adoption. While it hurt to hear that his mother didn't think she was ready, he took comfort in knowing that it was done so he could have the best chance at a good life.

Emma emphasized that once Ashley decided to keep the baby she had to honor that commitment, because running away was no longer an option.

Ashley said she was ready and willing for the difficult task and reiterated, through the clenched teeth of another contraction, that she wanted to keep her child.

~O~

When Ashley arrived at the hospital she was whisked away by the staff into the maternity ward. There the woman was met by her OB/GYN, Doctor Odessa del Sol. Odessa was an African American woman of thirty years. She seemed young, but was a highly qualified and respected member of the medical community. Dr. del Sol made sure the birth was as easy as possible for the young woman.

~O~

"Thank you for bringing me my merchandise," Mr. Gold told Emma.

"A baby is your merchandise?" she questioned him. Emma tells Mr. Gold that Ashley wants to keep the baby and has every right to do so. Gold reminds Emma that Ashley is under contract. He tells her that contracts are the foundation of all civilized societies, from simple lease agreements to national constitutions, contracts prevent chaos. While technically correct, Emma disliked his application of a contract and tells Gold that no jury in the world would convict a mother who wanted to keep her child, no matter what she signed. She even goes so far as to threaten Gold with a legal investigation. "I think there is more to you than just a simple pawn broker," she tells him point black.

Mr. Gold was impressed by Emma's strength of character and iron will. Everyone in town was rightfully afraid of him, but Emma was proving to be a formidable opponent. She wasn't apprehensive in her courage, Emma went toe to toe with him and showed absolutely no fear. However, Mr. Gold was anything if not resourceful. He offered an exchange. Ashley could keep the baby if Emma owed him a favor. To protect the girl and her infant, Emma agreed, though Emma had the feeling she would regret it later.

~O~

In the nursery, Sean arrives to greet his newborn daughter. Ashley has named her Alexandria. Sean had made the difficult decision to deny his father and his money to support his girlfriend and baby girl. He knew it would be difficult, but it was a decision he was willing to live with if it meant taking care of the two most important women in his life: Ashley and Alexandria.

~O~

In another part of town, Mayor Mills is zipping up her black dress. She is in someone's apartment, the bedroom, in fact. That person is in the shower. "Don't forget, your socks are under the bed. See you next Saturday for another Council Meeting?'" she tells that person with a delicious smile on her face.

~O~

Emma races Henry home so he can be there before his mother shows up. He is deposited at the house moments before Regina arrives. Henry races up the stairs to his room; one of his shoes falls off and sits on a stair. He dives into his room, removes a textbook from his book bag and pretends to be studying on his bed. His mother calls out his name angrily.

"HENRY! Henry, how many times have I told you not to leave your shoes on the stairs," Regina tells him, bringing him his lost sneaker. "Someone could get hurt."

She suspected nothing.

~O~

The person in the apartment reaches under the bed for the socks. As he is putting them on, Sheriff Graham receives a phone call. "Graham? It's Emma. It's time I put down some roots. I'll take that job."

~O~

Valerie said very little at first. She didn't want to talk to this guy. He was a dork. He even dressed like a dork. But worst of all, he was being paid by her mother to do her bidding. Valerie supposed he might brainwash her into just getting along with everyone around her. No original thought in her virginal little head. Just like that cute as apple pie little sister of hers.

Claire and Tina were off mowing a couple lawns. Jobs her mother was able to line up at the last second before the sun went down today. After losing the renovation house Valerie knew that they were going to struggle. She almost felt sorry for her mother. Then that wicked witch dropped her here to chat with Dr. Archie Hopper. He probably graduated first in his class at Nerd U., where everyone received a tiny diploma you wore on the bridge of your glasses.

"It's okay if you feel uncomfortable the first day," he tells her. "It happens quite a bit. You don't know me, you don't trust me. I can be intimidating."

"Intimidating? HA!" she said to him. "You look like you're on your way to a Star Trek convention. Or maybe Star Wars. Either way, they're both for weirdoes with too much time on their hands."

"I see," Archie responded. His voice was kind and soft. He tried his best to be a comfortable and soothing presence. "Well that's a good start. I know what you think of me. What about your mother? What do you think of her? She thinks you hate her. That can't be true."

She laughed again. "You don't know my mother very well. She is an evil woman."

"How would you characterize evil?"

"She dropped me here, didn't she?"

"You're here because she cares about you," Archie told Valerie.

"Puh-lease! She only cares about her daughter," Valerie spat.

"You are her daughter," Archie reminded her.

"No, I'm adopted. Tina is her daughter, her one and only. I'm here so I'll learn to step in line and be just like that sickeningly sweet little girl of hers. All sugar and spice and everything nice."

"Is that it? You think she brought you here to force you to change? That's not true, Valerie. Your mother wants you here so she can change. To find out what she has done to make you so angry with her and be a better mom. Isn't that what you want?"

"Wait a minute, you can't tell her anything. I watch TV, I know all about doctor / patient confidentiality."

"She didn't tell you? Oh, well, this is family therapy. You talk to me with your concerns, then she talks to me with her concerns and then you both talk with me and to each other to work out your problems."

"That's not how they do it on Frasier."

"That's just a TV show. Valerie, this is so you can talk freely without your mother hovering over you. I don't want you to feel judged. Wouldn't it be nice to get along with your mother? Not because she orders you, but because she understands you? That is your biggest complaint, isn't it? She doesn't understand you?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Good, good. Well, then, let's get started."

"How do I know you're not just saying that to make me talk?"

"Tell you what. Let's do a few round of sessions. If you don't see a change in her and if you still think I'm just her well paid pawn then we'll stop. I won't force the issue. I won't even let your mother bring you into my office. Deal?"

Valerie quirked a suspicious eyebrow at him. "Okay, anything to show that woman up."

"Good, now where do you want to begin?"

Whew, okay, this wraps up Episode 4. I do hope you've enjoyed this so far. Thank you for reading and please leave a review.

(Okay, when it comes to family therapy, I have no idea if that is how it works under any circumstances, but honestly that is how I would want it to be conducted for me.)

Scorecard:

Dr. Odessa del Sol = Iridessa

Note: del sol is Spanish for "of the sun." Odessa is Greek for "odyssey."