In Storybrooke, Mr. Gold strives to be the man Bae used to love--until Belle is kidnapped to Neverland. If he resumes his Dark One powers to save her, can he control them? In the Enchanted Forest, Emma battles ogres, zombies and her ex to get back h...
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Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin): You see, contracts-deals-well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence (The Price of Gold).
Charming repeated Rumplestiltskin's words to himself: I know what magic will bring them back to Storybrooke. Though he hated giving the wizard the satisfaction, he grinned. And kudos to Belle for recognizing the magic books when she'd come across them boxed up in the library attic.
"So," Charming said, "what magic will get Snow and Emma home?"
"Why, true love potion, of course. That's what I need to create a portal. One vial equals a cartload of fairy dust."
"Like the one you dumped down the well? As simple as that?" Why didn't you come up with this sooner?
Rumplestiltskin leaned back in his chair, clearly in his element. "The potion that brought magic to Storybrooke was complex, of course. The arrow you took for Snow, the bite of the cursed apple she took for you, you securing the vial inside Dragon Maleficent, Emma slaying the dragon to take it back-all of those acts played a part in increasing the potion's power."
Charming's grin faded. "Emma and I faced the dragon in deals we made with you, sure. But you're making it sound like everything we did was part of your plan."
Tilting his head, Rumplestiltskin smiled. "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, dearie. Those acts intensified your love. If the potion benefited, you did as well."
Damn, you're a manipulative son-of-a-bitch. "I think I can speak for my wife and daughter when I say nobody wants to risk their life just to benefit a potion."
"Not necessary." Rumplestiltskin waved his hand. "Instead of one vial of super-powerful-as you, so poetically put it-purple passion potion, I'll make do with three of lesser strength. The only sacrifices required will be single strands of hair."
That simple! Charming drew a deep breath. Time to change the sheets. Snow's coming home. Reaching up to pull out some hairs, he said, "My wife's I can get from her brush."
Rumplestiltskin shook his index finger. "Not your hair. Nor Snow's. True love potion can't be mass produced. Rather than a formula, it's more like a test. If the result is positive, it's potent. But repeating the assay is tantamount to doubting the previous result, which renders it useless."
"Meaning?"
"If I evaluate yours and Snow's hairs a second time, the magic now in Storybrooke would vanish-and you wouldn't want that."
"Why not?" To Charming, revoking Rumplestiltskin's ability to throw fireballs sounded attractive.
"Because the only way I know to link the Enchanted Forest to a world without magic is... unpleasant." The wizard returned a crooked smile. "Better to link magic to magic."
