Once Upon a Supernatural

Chapter XXI: Hero's Journey

Dean, Emma, and Regina walked into the pawn shop, Emma leading the pack. Dean had already bad suspicion about Rumpelstiltskin from Henry's story and the book, so he wasn't very happy coming here and asking for his help. He just wanted Sammy to be ok; to wake up. And Henry, too.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" said the man on the other side of the counter in a foreign accent. This was the first time he'd seen this guy around town. "Or is that look of a believer?"

"We need your help," Emma said bluntly.

"Indeed you do. Ah, Mr. Winchester- the older brother," he turned his attention to Dean. "We haven't properly introduced."

Dean shook his head, "Save it, Rump. We've got bigger problems to worry about."

Mr. Gold sighed. "I see. It seems quite the tragic ailment has befallen young Henry and Sam. I told you," his attention turned to Regina, "magic comes with a price."

"Henry shouldn't have to pay it," she replied.

"Or Sam," Emma interrupted.

Mr. Gold's attention never left Regina, "No, you should. But alas, we are where we are."

"Enough with crap," Dean interjected. "Can you help us or not?"

"Dean," Emma tried to calm him down. It was her turn to be the level-headed one.

Mr. Gold smiled, "Of course. True love, Ms. Swan," he quickly looked between the blonde and Dean. "The only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and break any curse. Luckily for you, I happened to have bottled some."

"You did?" Regina's voice broke, she sounded surprised.

Dean held up his hand. "Hold on. How can you bottle true love? Isn't it, like, a feeling? How did you turn it tangible?"

"Mr. Winchester, I sense that you've seen quite a lot in your time. More than the average person from this world. Why do you seem so small minded by the idea of magic?" Mr. Gold said, almost threatening.

"I don't deal with magic, Rump. The things I fight, I see them. I know they're there. I don't play with true love, bottling it up and what not. The way that you two use magic- it's enough to make me despise the very thought. You say magic comes with a price and yet both use it to cast curses and manipulate hundreds of lives. You two brought this town here and now my brother and Emma's son are paying the cost," Dean could feel his blood pumping through his veins. He'd been holding all of this in for far too long. He hadn't meant to explode like this- but when would he get this chance again?

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his entire body relaxed. "Dean," Emma said calmly. "Now is not the time. Henry and Sam are in trouble." She turned her attention to Mr. Gold. "How did you bottle true love?"

Mr. Gold looked between Dean and Emma again, his eyes lingering a tad longer on Dean than he felt comfortable with. "From strands of your parents' hair," he pointed to Emma, who cocked her head and rose her eye brow, "I made the most powerful potion in all the realm. So powerful that when I created the Dark Curse, I placed a single drop on the parchment. Just a little safety valve."

Emma's mouth dropped, "That's why I'm the savior. That's why I can break the curse."

"Now you're getting it," Mr. Gold nodded, a sly smile spreading across his lips. Dean cringed as he thought about how Emma must be feeling about the entire thing. A pawn- that's all this man saw Emma as. But Dean knew better; she was more than just that.

"I don't care about breaking the curse. All I care about is saving Henry."

"Which is why it's your lucky day," Mr. Gold smirked. "I didn't use all the potion. I saved some for a rainy day."