{ storybrooke }

20. { the stranger }

Winter walks through the front of the shop with the vacuum cleaner in her hand and a pair of earbuds in her ears. She softly sways to the music that fills her ears while sucking up little pieces of dust and filth.

She had been doing this for a little while when the phone starts ringing. She quickly puts down the vacuum cleaner and hurries to the register, where an old phone was standing on the corner of the desk.

"Hello, Mr. Gold?"

Winter recognises the voice as August Booth, the mysterious writer who had come to Storybrooke not long ago. "This is Winter. Can I leave a message or do I need to fetch him," she asks while busying her hands with re-arranging things on the register desk.

"Good afternoon, Winter. Uh, could you get him on the phone for me, please?" Winter shakes her head, though she was aware he could not see that on the other side of the line. "No problem, Mr. Booth."

She lowers the phone and puts her hand before the part you needed to speak in. Winter turns her head to look at the closed curtains that lead to his office and raises her voice. "Mr. Gold, Mr. August Booth is on the phone for you!"

Soon enough she hears the soft thuds of his cane as he walks from his office to the front of the shop. He holds out his hand to her and Winter hands him the phone. She steps aside to allow him space, but remains at the register desk and watches Mr. Gold talk over the phone.

"Yes? Mm-hmm. Come as soon as possible."

Winter was slightly baffled by his invitation. When Mr. Gold puts the phone down he begins walking back into his office, but she takes a stance in front of him and blocks his way. "Why did you invite him here," she asks. 

"You do not have to break your head over it, dearie. Why don't you continue your cleaning?" Gold places a hand on her cheek, his thumb gently grazing her cheekbone before letting her go. 

He swiftly moves past her and attempts to reach the curtains. Winter turns around and watches his retreating back. "You want me to avoid him, yet you invite him to the shop. What do you want me to do," she asks. Her tone of voice was hinting towards frustration. 

"Stay out of the way, Winter. It is for your own good," Mr. Gold says without facing her. But Winter knows him well and can see he was agitated by the way he was clenching his cane. The brunette moves and stands right in front of him again. "Are you hiding things from me again? You promised me, Mr. Gold!"

Gold smiles at her, though it was tight lipped. "Hush now, Winter. Everything will explain itself eventually." His shoulder brushes against hers as he leaves her behind in the front of the shop.

She releases a frustrated huff, but returns to her work. It would do her no good to continuously argue with him on this.

When the vacuuming was done she continues with polishing the items which needed it. It was still surprising to her how much stuff Mr. Gold had collected over the years, which also included the weirdest things. The creepy dolls on top of the shelf still creep her out.

Just as she finished cleaning up some sort of distillery set she noticed something she hadn't noticed before. It was a very small jewelry box made of wood. The design was stunning. It looked as if wooden vines had wrapped around the box. Where the vines met on the side of the box was where the opening was. 

Her curiosity won it over her caution. She pries the box open to reveal something she hadn't suspected. On a black cushion inside the box lays a ring, made of entwined twigs with a layer of varnish over it. Hanging from a tiny stem is a small green leaf.

Too intrigued to just put it away she takes the ring out of the box. She was just about to slip it around her finger when the bell of the front door rings.