Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 8, Chapter 2

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Rumpelstiltskin had roused his son in the middle of the night. The purpose? To escape the village before Hordor could take Baelfire off to war. As they fled on foot under cover of darkness they encountered a man by the side of the road begging for money. Rumpel kindly gave him a coin and continued on with his son.

Moments later the pair heard the clamor of hooves. It was Hordor and his men. They tried to hide from the guards, but the group was upon them in an instant.

"What are you doing on the King's Road?" Hordor asked. Rumpel claimed to be taking some wool to a nearby town to sell at a fair. Hordor vaguely remembered who this man was. "What's your name? Spindleshanks? Hobblefoot?"

"His name is Rumpelstiltskin," Baelfire spat in defiance.

"Ahh…, the man who ran." Hordor dismounted his horse and told Baelfire that his father was a coward. He was called to serve in the King's Army in the war, but when the ogres turned the battle in their favor he ran. The rest of the men who stayed to fight died. "He returned to a wife who could not stand the sight of him."

According to the guard, this was why his mother left him. This took Bae by surprise, he had always been told that his mother was dead.

"What's your name boy?" Hordor demanded. Unlike his father, Baelfire had no fear of this man. He told him his name, his age and his fourteenth birthday would be in three days. Hordor surmised that Rumpelstiltskin was fleeing with his son and informed them that avoiding service in the King's Army was treason. Believing that Rumpel would flee anyway, the captain of the guard decided to take the boy now and forgo waiting.

Rumpel, quivering with fear, begged him not to. Unfortunately, he had nothing to offer Hordor in payment, no money or influence or even a title to offer as a bribe. All he had, Hordor told him, was his fealty. "Kiss my boot," he demanded of Rumpel, wanting to humiliate the coward.

"Not in front of my boy," the trembling spinner pleaded.

"Kiss! My! Boot!"

Rumpelstiltskin, realizing he had no other choice, did as he was told even as Baelfire was made to watch. Then Hordor kicked the crippled man to the ground. When the guards rode off, laughing, the beggar came to their aide. In exchange for any help Rumpel could offer, he would be his benefactor.

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Mary Margaret came home to find her roommate, Emma, mercilessly stabbing a poor defenseless toaster. It probably worked before, but no longer. Emma was furious that she had been fired. "That's my job!" she barked angrily. She had never been so passionate. Unfortunately, there was nothing Emma could do to stop Regina from appointing Sydney as the new sheriff. This was her town.

A knock at the door changed all that. Mr. Gold had dropped by to speak with Emma. He had heard she had been fired. Gold, who had a knack for reading and understanding contracts, had been pouring through the town charter and realized that the mayor had no such authority to appoint a sheriff. However Emma had no real shot at challenging Regina unless she had help. "I'm offering to be your benefactor," Mr. Gold told her. "Two people working towards a common goal can accomplish much. Two people with a common enemy can accomplish more."

~O~

At the town hall Emma Swan strode in mad as hell and ready to do battle with Regina. She was so hot that she didn't even stop to say hello to Claire Kensington or her crew who were busy working to renovate and restore the building.

Emma launched into a full sprint up the stairs to the offices and burst into Regina's office just as the mayor was about to announce the appointment of Sydney Glass as the new sheriff.

"Stop!" she yelled, getting the attention of the local press who were covering the event. Emma pointed out quite plainly that Regina had no authority whatsoever to appoint a new sheriff, only a candidate for an election.

"The term 'candidate' is applied loosely," Regina answered.

"No, it's not. The town charter clearly says there has to be an election and I'm running," Emma stated forcefully.

"Fine, then Sydney is running, too."

"I am?" he asked. A sharp glance from the mayor and he changed his tune. "I am!"

"I guess we will learn about the will of the people," Regina told Emma as the blonde stormed out of the office. Regina went on to do damage control with the press and tried to portray the election as a mere formality. She offered Sydney's credentials and history covering the sheriff's office and his long term residency in Storybrooke as qualifications for the office.

Emma could hear the political spin machine in full force even before she stomped back down the stairs. On the first floor Claire once again said hello. Once again Emma was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice. Until the smell hit her. That was the second time.

"What is that?"

"Solvent," Claire answered.

"Oh, hi. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there."

"It's okay," Claire replied. "You looked deep in thought."

"More like deep in anger," Emma admitted. She explained what had happened and that she was about to file as an official candidate for the office of Sheriff of Storybrooke.

"Well you can count on our support," Claire announced. "It's the least we can do after you did so much to protect my family."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Just doing my job. By the way, how is Valerie, or Vidia or whatever she's calling herself these days?"

"Vidia and she's fine," was all Claire would say.

"And you? How are you handling everything?" Emma asked further.

"I'm good."

Emma, though, could tell everything wasn't quite right. But she was more concerned about preparing for the election and decided to let it go. "Okay. Well if you need any help…"

"Funny, I was about to say the same to you," Claire replied with a grin. "Y'know putting up posters, canvasing, handing out campaign buttons. I'll leave kissing the babies to you."

Ms. Swan smiled. She then asked about the smell. Claire was removing layers of solvent based lacquer from the wood panels, trim and bannisters. The older lacquers were no longer considered safe or environmentally friendly. "When that's done I'll be staining them to bring out the wood's natural colors."

Claire, Paul and Ben were working hard on the project. Vidia, who was still wearing a brace on her broken arm, was taking care of clean up.

"Your work looks good. I can't wait to see this place when you're finished," Emma told her.

Claire blushed. "Thank you. All the mayor has done today is look for flaws and scold me for hiring Paul and Ben. I think she's determined to get fired from this contract."

"Yeah? Well, don't worry. Pretty soon she is going to be too busy to care."

PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (The Early Edwardian Era on the Mainland)

"Hi, Fairy Gary," Terence greeted as he reported for his shift, early as usual.

"Terence," Gary said with a sour tone of voice. "May I have a word with you?"

"Uh oh," Bolt said with a smirk.

"Yeah, uh oh," Stone agreed with the same smirk.

"Something amiss Fairy Gary?" Terence asked his supervisor.

"You're darn right something's amiss, boy," Gary answered keeping up his scowling countenance. "You are late for work."

"No I'm not," Terence replied. "I'm early by ten minutes. As always."

"Aye, as a dust keeper, but as my new assistant you'll have to arrive when I do."

"A-assistant?" Terence sputtered.

"Assistant?" Bolt and Stone both repeated, flabbergasted.

"That's right. The job is yours if you want it." Fairy Gary was smiling now that his little deception had been pulled off so effectively.

"Yeah. Yeah! Oh thank you, Fairy Gary. I won't let you down. I'll be here early every day and… and…"

"And what, Terence?"

"I'm going to have to stop visiting Zarina," Terence replied. He had been attending her classes learning how to be a Pixie Dust Alchemist. Terence was her best student. He was the only one who had the aptitude for creativity and curiosity that had caused so much trouble a number of seasons earlier, before her new talent was finally recognized.

"Tell you what, I'll let you finish her classes and then you can start training with me," Fairy Gary offered. Gary recognized the benefit of having his assistant understand the art of alchemy. Terence would then be an excellent liaison between the primary guild of Dust Keepers and the sub talent of Alchemist.

"Great. Four more weeks and I'll be fully trained in alchemy," the young sparrow man said with joy. "Then I'll be ready to learn everything you teach me."

"Aye, but not too fast. I'm not ready to be put out to pasture just yet," Gary said with a laugh.

~O~

When Tinker Bell learned of Terence's promotion she was elated. "This is what you've been waiting for your whole life, Terence!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, and now it's actually happening. I can't believe it myself." Terence was floating on air, both literally and figuratively. "Let's celebrate tonight. You and me alone at Mermaid's Lagoon."

"It's a date!"

~O~

It was a perfect evening with amazing food and a clear sky for star gazing. Tinker Bell didn't want it to end because she knew Terence all too well. He was going to start preparing for Assistant Overseer ahead of time. Though he still had his obligations at the depot and with Zarina, Terence was going to spend his every waking moment studying the texts for his new post. Tinker Bell wouldn't see hide nor hair of her beau for the next few weeks.

She was absolutely right. Every day following his regular duties and the class Terence sequestered himself in his house to study and didn't come out for anything. This was why he was the best dust keeper in the land.

That was okay, it gave Tinker Bell time to finish some projects that had been set aside during the "honeymoon" phase of their new relationship. First, Tink put the finishing touches on a device so the garden talents could paint leaves faster. "This should make their lives easier," she said.

Tink brought the spray painter to her garden fairy friend to test it out. Rosetta took the device, which was similar to what animal fairies used to paint lady bugs, and painted several leaves in seconds. Then adjusting a dial, she used a different shade to spray tint on a flower.

"Well? Think your garden fairies will like it?" Tink asked.

"Like it? They'll love it," the redhead beamed. "Oh I can't wait to show it to Chloe and the others."

"Great, I'll make more."

Before Tink could flitter off to her workshop Rosetta brought up the question of Terence. "So how are you two doing?"

"Well, we're okay, I guess."

"What happened?" Rosetta gasped. "What did he do? It's always the man's fault y'know."

Tink laughed. She had to explain about Terence's promotion and all the work he had ahead of him. Tink wouldn't get to see much of him for a few more weeks.

"Well, you know the old saying. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' When this is all over he won't be able to keep his hands off of you." Rosetta knew from experience. Every year when the winter fairies returned from bringing their season to the mainland Sled would inevitably show up at her door.

"I have to beat him off with a stick."

Tink giggled. "Now why would I do that with Terence?"

Thank you for reading!