Ripple Effect

written with CJ Moliere

A ripple on the water causes a disturbance in a pond altering the surface, but one choice altered in the past creates a ripple in time . . . with unforeseen consequences . . .

When the time travel portal Zelena had created spat out Emma and Hook, neither knew at first what would happen. All they knew was that if the past were changed it could have catastrophic consequences for the future of all concerned. Zelena had managed to escape the cell Regina had put her in, using a small black enchanted earring and transforming into a toad that had hopped between the bars and out the door. Then she had somehow figured out where Regina had hidden her emerald pendant and reclaimed it and activated the time portal, escaping into the past and leaving the portal pulsing and glowing, open to any who dared follow her.

Emma and Hook had not known any of this, however. Emma had gone to investigate the huge glowing shaft of light that had erupted into the sky, able to be seen from miles around. It was Hook who had declared it must be the portal activated, and Emma had unfortunately been drawn into it. Hook had attempted to pull her out, but he couldn't fight the suction, and was dragged in along with her.

Now they were somewhere in Fairy Tale Land, in the past. When was unknown, but Emma recognized she was in the Enchanted Forest. They had stolen some clothes off a line for Emma to wear so she didn't stick out like a sore thumb in her leather jacket and jeans. They had started walking down a dirt track until they had reached a road, and now walked along it.

Suddenly a fancy coach driven by a driver in gold livery pulled by two handsome bay horses clattered along down the road.

Hook dragged Emma out of the way, she had stumbled and would have fallen in the road and been trampled if not for his quick reflexes.

Suddenly the carriage, which bore the royal coat of arms of King George, halted, and a fair haired man dressed in a sumptuous blue satin and crushed velvet doublet peered out. "Hey! Are you two okay? You'd better be careful!"

Emma started to reply but found she was struck dumb. It was her father she was speaking to . . . before she was even born.

Unable to articulate anything, she remained mute. Luckily Killian still possessed the power of speech.

"We were heading home to our children, my lord, when my wife here stumbled upon a rock," he explained with a roguish grin.

Emma almost swallowed her tongue. His wife? Their children? Was he crazy? Raising an eyebrow, she forced herself to play along, but she vowed as soon as they were alone, she was punching him out. She could tell their little deception amused him, for he had that gleam in his eye—the wicked rogue!

Coughing slightly, she said in a false tone of agreement, "That's right, my lord. It was a silly accident. Now we must be running home to . . . our children." She grabbed Hook's sleeve. "Come along, dear." He winced as she trod deliberately on his toe.

"Wait! If you're injured, please come have a ride with us," Charming persuaded. "It's just me and my fiancée, Princess Abigail, inside, and the coach seats four. By the way, I'm Prince James."

"Oh no, we don't want to be any trouble," Emma tried to refuse, knowing this was not a good idea. Her father, Charming, had met Snow White, her mother while he was traveling to his engagement to Abigail upon this very road, according to the history in the Once Upon a Time book. Hook had said himself that if they changed anything in the past it could have terrible consequences. Emma was sure that riding in Charming's carriage was not something they should be doing. "We'll just be going along now. I'll be fine!"

"Nonsense, I insist!" Charming said, smiling. "Now just hop right in there and say hello to Abigail, we'll drop you off at your house, it's no trouble."

So, because they could hardly refuse a royal command, Emma and Hook reluctantly got in the carriage with Abigail, who was known as Kathryn in Storybrooke in the future, and Charming, who was known as David.

"Hello. James, who's this?" asked Abigail, a pretty blonde woman with a gold dress.

"Err . . . I didn't catch your names," Charming admitted, blushing.

"I'm Killian and this is . . ." Hook gestured for Emma to reply.

Emma blurted the first name that came into her head. "Jenny, Your Highness."

"Pleased to meet you," Abigail said. "It's fortunate we happened upon you when we did. Are you badly hurt?"

"No . . . I just turned my foot on a rock," Emma said nervously. "I'll be fine once I soak it."

"So . . . where do you two live?" asked Abigail, attempting to start a conversation.

"Umm . . just a little town . . ." Emma said.

"It's so small you'd practically miss it riding by," Hook added.

Emma laughed. "Right, you've probably never even heard of it . . . we call it . . .Nowhere . . ."

Charming laughed too. "That's funny, I like it!"

Hook nodded. "It's nowhere all right."

"How quaint," Abigail giggled. "And how many kids do you have?"

"Six," Hook replied before Emma could answer.

Emma's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Six? Was he out of his mind?

She cleared her throat. She was not a baby-making factory. "Actually, I have one from a previous marriage . . . and the others are his . . . from HIS previous marriage."

Charming nodded. "So . . this is like . . . your second chance at love?"

"Could say that," Hook agreed.

"Umm . . . yeah . . . you know how you think that . . . sometimes you meet the right one . . . but then you realize . . . it wasn't meant to be . . . and so you . . . meet someone else . . ." Emma floundered.

Abigail looked thoughtful. "Such as?"

Emma coughed and tried to explain. "Uh, you know, like suddenly you . . . meet a person along the road and she . . . tries to rob you and you chase her and . . . then you find out that she was the one you were meant to be with all along . . .it's like fate . . ."

Hook lowered his eyes and shook his head. They knew they had to be careful but now they may have already changed things...and not for the better.

Emma continued. "I mean . . . your engagement . . . was probably arranged by your parents right? Isn't that how you nobles do things? So . . . what if your one true love was . . . someone else . . . like a bandit girl?" Too late she realizes what she's said.

"Swan." groaned Killian.

"But you said your name was Jenny. So where does that come from? How . . . unusual." Abigail remarked.

"It's a nickname actually . .. he's cute like that . . ." Emma laughed nervously. Things had gone from bad to worse and she had really put her foot in it! "Aren't you, Killian?" She elbowed him.

"Yes...cute," Killian looked embarrassed.

Charming spoke up. "So . . . you don't believe in arranged marriages?"

Hook shook his head. "Ummmm...no."

"Definitely not. You need to be able to choose . . . to follow your heart . . . " She cannot believe she's saying this.

All the while Hook was staring at her.

"But . . . what about one's duty to one's parents and kingdom? I mean, Daddy always said that a princess was meant to marry for the good of her people." Abigail remarked, thinking at least that's what she had always been taught.

Emma bit her lip. Maybe it wasn't wise to give a princess lessons in women's suffrage, but. . . "Well, sure, but . . . wouldn't it be good for your people if you were really happy?"

"Ummm...love, we don't want to seem rude," Hook muttered.

Emma flushed. "Oh . . . no . . . of course not . . . Sorry . . . I'm babbling again . . ."

Hook gave a soft laugh. "It's the baby . . . you know how women get when they're expecting."

Emma almost passed out. "The BABY?"

Good God, her father was going to think they were rabbits.

Hook nudged her. "Yes, love, remember . . . the one you're having?"

"Right . . . I'm just . . . not used to thinking about it . . .umm . .. yet . . ." she gave a little embarrassed chuckle.

Hook smirked. Her reaction was priceless. He'd missed this easy banter between them.

Charming smiled. "Oh . . . well, congratulations." Man, must be nice to be a peasant and have kids at the drop of a hat. It's not that way with royals, gods know.

"That must be very exciting!" Midas's daughter grinned.

While her father probably had images of a party in his head, Emma was planning a funeral...Hook's.

Emma forced a smile. "You're telling me! I almost fell down when I . . . found out," she shot Hook a meaningful glance.

Hook winced. "She's still a bit...antsy...you know...expecting mothers."

Emma glared at him. He just kept sticking his foot deeper and deeper down his throat. "Killian, love, would you like to find a new place to sleep . . .like the barn with the pigs? Hmm?" she suggested tartly. Right now she would cheerfully shove him the wallow . . . and watch him drown!

"Oh now that's cruel, Swan. What have I done?" he protested, though he knew perfectly well.

"You were patronizing me . . . dear."

"I was not!"

"Yes, you were!" She looked at Abigail. "Wasn't he?"

"Uh . . . you were," replied Midas' daughter.

"Abby, my gods!" exclaimed Charming.

"See what you have to look forward to, mate? They're always right...no matter what."

"That's right . . .because the wife knows best." She smirked at Hook.

"Oh, brother!" Suddenly Charming looked nervous.

But Abigail looked thoughtful. "Hmmm . . .I LIKE that!"

Hook laughed. "And they enjoy it too."

"Of course . . . because you men have lorded it over us long enough . . . now it's OUR turn!" She'd show him! No man, no matter how good looking, was going to make her look meek and mealymouthed . . . or barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen without a fight!

"That's so . . . refreshing! Then your husband doesn't . . . tell you what to do?"

"Well...I...ahhhh." Killian knew he'd better shut up, before Emma kicked him somewhere he'd not recover from.

"He suggests things . . . and then I decide what I'm going to do . . .it's a good arrangement," Emma replied smugly. See, Killian, no way do you wear the pants in this . . . relationship!

"Most of the time she gets into trouble," he returned.

Oh really? "That's when I follow your advice, dear."

"Right." He sighed. "When you have to not when you want to."

Emma frowned. They really needed to get out of this carriage. Fast. " And who's idea was it to walk along the road? You were the one who wanted to take a short cut! Men . . . they never stop to ask for directions."

Abigail giggled.

"You know why I did." Hook said exasperatedly. "I don't even know why we're arguing about this. We've already messed things up. I wanted to avoid...complications."

"Oh, don't worry, we'll get you home to your kids in time for supper, right James?"

"Sure we will. Uh . . . where did you want us to drop you off?"

"Errr. . . well . . .He glanced over at Emma.

"Right up the road a piece . . .our daughter Melissa—"

"Mandy," Hook corrected.

Emma gaped at him. Dammit! We really need to get our stories straight! "No, it's Mary . . err . . and Liam . . ." she sputtered, making up names on the fly.

"No, Liam is their uncle...have you been into the ale again?" Killian coughed, thinking this was ridiculous.

"No . . .and you've forgotten your own daughter's name . . . it's Melissa . . . and we have a son named Henry," she continued, desperately trying to salvage the situation.

"Well, I like calling her Mandy."

Abigail frowned. "As in Amanda?"

"My husband . . . is weird with his names," Emma tried to explain.

Killian gave her an irritated glance. "What am I...the Dark One?" he quipped.

"Excuse me? Who said anything about Mr. Gold-err Rumplestiltskin?"

"Well, he's...strange with names but I'm not. Amanda was my mother's name. And it's Melissa's middle name," Killian pointed out. And from the mess we've been making so far, we may need to call on the Dark One, Hook thought and for him that was a one way ticket to an early grave.

"Mr. Gold? I've never heard the Dark One called that before," Abigail said.

"Well, he is kinda gold looking," Hook explained.

"And he does, you know, spin straw into gold-so . . . Mr. Gold . . .the people in our town have always called him that . .. it's like calling the Sidhe the Good People . . . so he doesn't get mad . .." Emma babbled, hoping something she said made sense.

"And when you live in the middle of Nowhere . . . you have to be careful to get on his good side," Killian said with a soft chuckle. "Assuming he has one."

"Very careful," Emma agreed.

Abigail nodded. "Yes, he's not the sort you want for an enemy."

Charming agreed. "No, not at all!" He tapped the side of the carriage and said, "Driver! Ho! Stop!"

Hook caught Emma before she fell off her seat.

The carriage rolled to a stop. Charming opened the door and held it while Emma got out and then Hook.

Emma drew close to him, whispering, "This is it!"

Hook frowned. "What is?"

"Where they meet!"

"Swan, you mean . . .?"

"Yes!"

"Uh . . .okay . . ." He turned to Charming. "Thanks, mate! Err . . . my lord . . . we'll just be going . . . C'mon, Swan . . . the kids will be worried about us . . ." He took Emma's arm.

Emma glanced around. The woods were still. "Where is she?"

"We need to go! Before something else happens!" Hook argued.

Emma shook her head. "But . . this is all wrong!" She knew that by now a tree should have fallen across the path, blocking the road. Yet nothing had happened.

"Swan, if we stay we'll make it worse," he hissed. Then he attempted to cover, because Charming was looking at them funny, "No, it's not, see, there's the trail to Nowhere . . ." He tugged at Emma again, trying to lead her away.

"But . . . she's supposed to be here . . . I read it . . .I know I did . . ."

Hook looked around. "I don't see her either. C'mon, Swan. Mandy's probably home getting supper."

"Neither do I." As she glances around, the carriage door slams and Charming and Abigail continue to Midas's palace, uninterrupted. She felt a cold shiver go through her.

"Emma...Emma...look!" Killian gasped.

He pointed at her hand.

"Oh my God! My hand . . . Hook . . . it's fading . . .what's happening to me?!"

"Oh gods Swan...you're fading...from existence!"

"I feel so cold . . . Killian . . . help me . . ." she clutched at him ". . .why's this happening?"

"We changed things...and now your parents haven't met . . . which means you haven't been born . . . gods! This is why time travel is forbidden! We need help." He was horrified. She was fading before his eyes . . . like a ghost.

"We need to find a wizard . . . Rumplestiltskin!" she proposed. She felt odd . . . disconnected.

"He'll probably kill me on sight but . .." Hook said resignedly. He knew they had no better options. He lifted her into his arms. "We have no choice."

"Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin!" Emma called his name three times. "Dammit, Gold, I wish you had a cell phone! How do I know if you can even hear me?"

Hook allowed all the desperation in his soul to seek the Dark One out.

"What seems to be the problem, dearie?" He appeared in front of them in a puff of purple smoke. His eyes narrowed in fury. " YOU! Abducted another helpless woman have you?"

Hook gave him a sort of grin. "No...Actually she kidnapped me."

Rumple was not amused. "Liar!" He snapped his fingers and Hook was lifted into the air. "Now-you have two choices-you can die fast or slow. What's it gonna be?"

"Stop!" Emma yelled.

Rumple gave her a sympathetic look, and waved a hand so she was now standing on the ground. "Why, dearie? Whatever he's done to you, I'll fix it. Just let me settle with this rotten thieving rogue first. Oh, and it might get a little messy, so if you're squeamish . . . look away." He returned his killing gaze to the miserable buccaneer.

"If you hurt either of us you won't see Bae again!" Emma blurted desperately.

Rumple froze. "Bae? How do you know my son?"

"It's ummm...complicated," she blushed. "But long story short...I'm his son's mother."

Rumple nearly fell over. "You're Bae's WIFE?" Then he rounded on Hook. "You bastard! First you take his mother, now you take his wife? I ought to rip out your heart!" His magic surged through him.

"No...we weren't married...and he's he's . . ." she tried frantically to regroup, not knowing what to say. How do you tell a parent his son was dead in the future when he was still alive in this time? She could feel the repercussions from her actions continue to spread, creating ripples all throughout the timestream.

"Don't say it, Swan!" Hook managed to get out through the chokehold the Dark One had him in.

Rumple's eyes flashed. Something was off here. "What is this-some kind of trick? I don't like being lied to, dearie!"

Emma shook her head. "It's no trick...we're from...from the future."

Rumple gaped. "You're time travelers? But that's not supposed to be possible!"

"Now it is...thanks to a witch named Zelena," Hook informed him, figuring now the cat was out of the bag . . .

Rumple scowled in distaste. "Zelena? She used to be my apprentice! I knew that girl was trouble the minute I laid eyes on her! The little tramp!"

"I'm happy to agree with you on that one, mate."

Rumple eyed Emma. "Then I do find Bae again?"

Emma nodded. "Yes."

"And how do I . . . no, don't tell me, you'll put thoughts in my head I shouldn't be having and then things will shift . . .change one thing and you'll change everything . . ."muttered the sorcerer.

"I . . . think we may have already done that," Emma murmured, chagrined. "Look." She showed Rumple her hand, which seemed to flicker.

Rumple hit himself in the forehead. "Dear gods! What have you done? What did you change? Something major, or else you wouldn't be fading like that."

Emma shivered. "Can you stop it? Can you fix it?"

Rumple sighed. "That all depends . . . on what you did. It's not that easy, dearie. There's a reason why time travel is a forbidden art."

"Yeah, well, we're not the only ones who went back in time," Hook gasped. "The wicked witch did too . . . "

"Zelena also?" Rumple shook his head. "Not good, dearies . . . not good at all." He snapped his fingers and Hook was lowered to the ground. "Come with me, back to my castle. We need to discuss the repercussions." He shot a glare at Hook. "I can always kill you later."

With a wave of his hand, purple smoke engulfed them.

When it cleared they were in a room with thick tapestries and a bearskin rug on the floor. A large desk sat before a bay window and shelves all around it contained various books and other paraphernalia of sorcerers. A three tiered chandelier hung from the ceiling, lit with magical balls of light. "Welcome to my study." He leveled a glare at Hook. "You! Don't touch anything!"

Emma sighed. "Can we just agree to . . . bury the hatchet?"

Rumple snorted. "You mean somewhere besides his skull?"

"Yeah, because trust me...it'll be better if you don't bury the hatchet anywhere on him. He's been...a big help to us...and Bae," Emma interceded.

"Really, dearie? Any dealings I'VE ever had with him have ended badly," Rumple said sourly.

"Well...he's...aaahhh turned over a new leaf," Emma persuaded.

"Look mate, I know this is hard for you to believe but I've changed in our time," Killian began.

"Now that is the understatement of the year! Did someone finally pound some sense into your thieving skull?" snorted the Dark One.

"It was a combination of your son...and her." He glanced over at Emma.

"My son? You know Bae?" Then he shook his head. "Don't answer that!"

Hook wanted to answer, wanted to tell the Dark One his boy was a man to be proud of, he had died a true hero as Rumple had the year before. Still he was afraid anything else he could say would only make things worse for Emma.

"I want to fix this...I just don't know how," Emma said, twisting her hands together.

"All right, so it seems you've changed something monumental in the time stream . . . resulting in your very existence being threatened." He steepled his fingers on the desk. "Like I said before, there's a reason why time travel is a forbidden art. Because of the ripple effect."

"My parents...if I make their meeting happen...even if it is not the same as before...I can go back to normal." Emma said, feeling as if she were grasping at straws.

Rumple shook his head. "You don't understand. ANY changes you make have consequences, dearie. You can't just put a bandage over it and think it's all fixed now. When you alter the course of events, even a little, it creates ripples in time . . . the future alters . . .and things can never go back to what was before."

"And what about the witch? She is attempting to change her own past...make certain Regina is never born." Hook said.

At the mention of Zelena, Rumple's eyes flashed molten. "That bitch! She is an IDIOT! She could end up destroying us all!"

"So I'm screwed either way, is that what you're saying?" Emma said.

"It can't be, love. There has to be a way," Killian said encouragingly.

"No . . .you can create a new future . . . just know that things might be changed from what was before . . .You cannot go back, dearie. What's happened has happened. Now you must go forward . . . and work with what's been done. This is now your past and it will have an impact upon your future."

They both breathed a sigh of relief. That didn't sound quite as bad as they had feared.

Rumple continued. "However, know that because of this, certain events in your time might be altered . . . or never have come to pass at all."

Hook frowned. "Such as?"

"That's impossible for me to say. The ripples affect all the possible futures and even I cannot see all the ramifications. You must wait to go back . . . and then see what happens."

"Getting my parents back together is the key...maybe it will stop Zelena too."

"Possibly . . ."He tapped his hand thoughtfully against the desk. "Or perhaps I can work some magic of my own . . . and bring her to me . . .and then she'll deal with ME!"

They both stared hard at the sorcerer. He had no idea what he would endure in the year he was the witch's prisoner...losing his son...being away from Belle...not getting the chance to bond with Henry.

Hook grinned. He had his suspicions that Rumple had delivered his own justice in the future and while others may be upset about it if they knew, he wasn't. He would have gutted the green bitch himself.

"Damned wench! I should have killed her long ago, then I wouldn't be in this mess!" grumbled the Dark One.

Emma was thinking along the same lines though she didn't express it to Hook. She'd promised Henry she would make Zelena pay. But the witch had escaped . . . because Regina hadn't followed protocol and put a guard on the cell. What if this was her plan all along? Emma thought. Not going to happen, Greenie, Emma thought angrily. We'll fix it somehow.

"I have to agree with you, mate...her being dead would have solved a lot of our problems."

"But it could also impact a few...things," Emma conceded.

She thought of Regina and Robin and how happy they seemed I can't take that away from her. I can't! Emma thought.

"She was a pain in my ass ever since she first came to me, wanting me to teach her magic and bringing with her all of her jealousy and misery. She fixated on me . . .thought she was in love with me-me, the Dark One-and she wanted to kill her own sister!" Rumple's mouth twisted.

"She wanted you to choose her to cast your curse." Emma murmured.

Rumple rolled his eyes heavenward. "I tested her, you see, for she came to me saying she wished for a family . . .but when it came right down to it, she wished for power more. In that, she was Cora's true daughter. For that one invented the term I want more! And Zelena followed right in her footsteps . . . despite having never known the woman! She was unsuitable . . . she loved nothing so much as herself . . . and suicide wouldn't have gained me anything."

"No...and you can't choose anyone else...it has to be Regina."

"You're not telling me anything I don't know. Except . . . what did you do to the current time stream?"

They both looked at each other. "My parents getting together is the key...I'm the one who breaks your curse. Because you put a drop of my parents true love on the parchment you wrote it on."

Rumple didn't seem surprised. " Always leave yourself a back door. Always."

Emma went on. "And I and...someone else...take you to Bae. And that comes about because of a deal we strike . . ."

Hook raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure telling him this is a good idea?"

"Ah, that's good. Now don't tell me anymore. Too much foreknowing . . . not a good thing. You must let events unfold naturally," the sorcerer explained.

"Can't you just do something to forget after we leave?" the savior asked.

Rumple nodded. "Yes. I can make a potion that will erase my memories, but still . . .just because I forget, doesn't mean the universe does. It's tricky, dearie, and all actions, like magic, come with a price . . .So you can change what you've altered . . . but somewhere something will occur that didn't before because of it. A ripple within a ripple . . . wrapped in a conundrum!" He giggled.

Hook groaned: "What a mess."

"Though I will tell you this-if you change something for the better-the change will have a positive effect on the timestream. If you do something negative . . . something bad will occur. It's why I cannot hunt down Zelena and strangle her, much as I would like to." Rumple sighed. "Though perhaps the fates will conspire against her. There will always be consequences for tampering with what should be."

"That's a bit more...comforting," Hook allowed.

"The ring...my parents got together because she stole a ring he had. If we can get that to happen..." mused the blonde woman.

"Then you may bring your future back into alignment, so to speak." Rumple finished.

"It's getting her to take the ring that may be the tricky part...we don't know where she is," Hook pointed out.

"I may be able to assist you there." He went to a case and opened it, pulling out a strand of black hair. "This hair is from Snow White. With it I can cast a locator charm for you . . . when the hair glows white . . . she is near. When it dims . . . she is far away."

"Like a game of hot and cold," remarked Killian.

Emma frowned however. "Wait...I thought...you haven't met her yet?"

"I haven't . . . but Regina has. I got this from her," the Dark One replied.

"Why did Regina give you her hair? She wanted a curse on her, didn't she?" Emma snapped.

Rumple arched an eyebrow. "Well, of course, dearie. She DOES hate the girl. But I have a better use for it than that, as you pointed out."

"So we have to find her...we already know your father is at Midas's castle," reminded the pirate.

"At the engagement ball which I arranged . . ." Rumple mused.

"He can't marry Abigail for obvious reasons," coughed Killian.

"Snow has to be there...it's where the ring is!" Emma cried.

"Yes, and between you and me, dearie, I never thought that was a good match anyhow . . . but their papas wished a merger . . .politics and stuff, you know . . ."

"We have to find a way in...and get Snow in. Got any ideas, Doc Brown?"

Hook laughed. Having watched the movie with Henry, he'd figured out the reference but the Dark One wouldn;t either in this world or theirs.

Rumple looked puzzled, not understanding the reference. "Well, here's an invitation." He snapped his fingers and one appeared. "That's your task. I'm afraid I can only help so much. What you broke, now you must mend." He twirled the hair about in his hands and whispered something in a spidery language. The hair glowed briefly then died.

Then he took another look at them and shook his head. "Oh and you can't go to the ball like that!" He made a face. "It's just not done, dearie!" He waved a hand and they were dressed to the nines, Emma in a red dress and Killian in a velvet doublet and hose. "There! Much better!"

Emma glanced down at herself. The dress was gorgeous but . . . "Red . . .err . . ."

"What? You don't like red? It suits you, but . . ." The master spinner shrugged. He waved a hand and the dress changed to emerald green. "That better? You want glass slippers?"

"I liked the red better," Hook commented.

Rumple and Emma whirled on him. "Who asked YOU?" they chorused.

"Just saying," the pirate said.

Rumple was annoyed. "Next time when I want an opinion on clothes, I'll ask you dearie. Until then, be quiet!"

He waved a hand again, and a sparkling diamond tiara appeared. "Here. If you're going to be a princess-and technically you are one-then you need a little sparkly." He handed Emma the tiara. Then he leaned in and whispered, "And maybe that'll keep Tall, Dark, and Criminally Inclined busy looking at that and calculating how much it's worth instead of at you!"

Emma took it wryly thinking that she'd gone from barefoot and pregnant with six kids to going to a ball wearing tiara. Talk about climbing the cooperate ladder! She smirked back at Rumple. "I know he doesn't seem like much but . . . he has his moments."

Rumple snorted. "Moments when you don't want to beat him? Good luck with that!"

Emma chuckled. "Thanks for this," she waved at her dress.

"Don't mention it, dearie. I never had a daughter, but if I did, she would have been the best dressed girl anywhere in seven kingdoms. I don't spin straw into gold for nothing, you know!" There was a sudden wistful expression in his gold eyes.

"Uh, we'd better get going. Thanks, Rumple," Emma said quietly.

"Yeah, thanks, mate," nodded Hook.

They were just about to leave when the study door opened and Belle came in, with a featherduster. "Oh! I didn't know we had guests!"

"They were just leaving," Rumple said hastily, not wanting Belle to interact with these particular guests lest something else get changed. He made shooing motions with a hand.

Belle frowned. "There's no need to shove them out the door."

"They have things to do, people to see, a ball to attend, and a ring to steal, dearie. They don't have time for chitchat," the Dark One said briskly.

Belle gaped at the departing strangers. "Rumple! They're stealing something and you just . . . let them go? But . . . but why . . .?"

"Never mind. It's too complicated to get into now. Just go . . .read a book, clean the kitchen or something. Go on, shoo!" He flapped a hand at her.

"You could just ask nicely!" she sniffed.

"I could also turn you into a toad. Now go on, I'm busy . . . got to brew a potion . . . to make me forget . . ." he muttered, gathering some reagents.

"Forget what? You've already forgotten your manners," Belle huffed and sashayed out the door.

Rumple sighed. He would have to make up his abruptness to her . . . perhaps by making her a new cloak . . . yes, there was some green printed fabric that would do nicely . . .then he wondered why he was so concerned over what his maid thought of him . . .Perhaps meeting these strangers had already begun affecting him, as the ripples in the timestream spread outward, altering what had been and changing what would be.

A/N: and so the story continues . . . as Hook and Emma attempt to get Snow and Charming together before Emma fades from existence . . .