. . . . . ╰──╮✰ ✰ ✰ ╭──╯ . . . . .

‎‧₊˚✧ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ✧˚₊‧

‎‧₊˚✧7:15 ᴀ.ᴍ.✧˚₊‧

______

"None Will Be Able To Resist

Truth And Love And Sincerity

Are You Sincere? Unselfish Even Unto Death and Loving?

Then Fear Not, Not Even Death."

______

Angie poured herself a cup of coffee while Emma was going over some files. Today, Emma had made Angie wake up early to get ready for work. If it were up to Angie, she would not be up at 7:10 in the morning. However, the deputy job was a little more demanding than she had originally thought.

Speaking of Mary Margaret, she rushed in, a toothbrush still in her mouth. She ran to the sink and spit toothpaste out as she grabbed her purse. "I can't believe I overslept!"

Angie chuckled in between sips of coffee. "Sometimes I forget that we have opposite sleep schedules. 7:00 is late for you. Relax, May. It's 7:10. You've got plenty of time to get to work."

"No!" Mary Margaret insisted. "I have to be there at 7:15! Science fair. I'm helping the kids with their project before school."

Emma started to put some files back in the box. "I'm sure if you're five minutes late, they'll live."

"We're making a volcano," Mary Margaret said as she grabbed her coat and dashed out the door. The door made a loud clunk, clearly annoyed with Mary Margaret's shove.

Angie chuckled and shook her head. "That was the biggest load of crap I've ever heard."

–

David walked up to the counter at Granny's and retrieved two coffees from Ruby. He turned around to see Mary Margaret seated at a table next to him. He paused briefly to address her. "Good morning."

Mary Margaret dropped the book she was reading and smiled. "Morning!"

"Uh, I should go," David admitted. "I'm gonna be late for work."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Oh, the animal shelter, right? How's that going?"

"Well, the apes haven't taken over," David joked.

"Yet," Mary Margaret said with a chuckle.

David laughed. "Not on my watch." He made his way towards the door and down to his car. Mary Margaret watched as he handed the coffee to Katheryn and kissed her cheek.

"Nice science project," a voice called out. Mary Margaret looked over at the counter, where Angie lowered the newspaper she had been reading. She adjusted her Yankees cap. "I can't believe that the hat and sunglasses still fool people."

Mary Margaret was having trouble responding. "I was–"

"I get it," Angie responded with a small smile. She stood up, grabbed her things, and sat across from Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret sighed. "He comes here every morning at 7:15 A.M. to get coffee."

"For him and his wife," Angie reminded Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret slunk back in her chair. "I know, I know, I know. I just like to... come here to see him."

"So, you're a stalker?"

"No, not really." Angie gave Mary Margaret a look. "Maybe a little bit. And it's not like I'm following him. I just know that he spends his mornings with Kathryn, gets coffee, then drives to the animal shelter to start work at 7:30, and then he's home around 5:00."

"Oh, is that all?" Angie asked.

Mary Margaret thought before spitting out. "Thursdays they pick up Chinese for dinner." She wrung her hands in desperation. " I can't get him out of my head. Love's the worst. I don't know how you handle being alone all the time, but I'd like to learn how."

Angie sighed. Her situation was unique. Being abandoned as a child kind of set the tone early. "I think what I have is circumstantial. I doubt I can teach you."

"Then, I wish there was a magic cure."

Angie took a swig from her water bottle. "Don't we all?"

–

Rumplestiltskin still wasn't well. He rarely left his bed, only to use the bathroom. Lilith brought him some food and water three times a day, but otherwise left him alone. She continued her magic lessons, which she did mostly as experiments. No directions, just guesstimates.

Lilith was pruning some poppies to use for one of her experiments when a small bell in Rumplestiltskin's study jingled. The bell meant that someone had arrived at the dock. Lilith extended her pointer finger out, which glowed a bright ruby red. She only was able to do simple spells, but she enjoyed the feeling when she cast one. She willed her finger to glow stronger, and she felt the cool breeze of the sea wind in her hair. Dark pink smoke surrounded her and she reappeared sitting in a small rowboat, which a woman wearing a dark cloak was attaching to the dock.

"How much for this?" Lilith joked.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked, lowering her hood. Lilith recognized her instantly. Snow White. "It's not for sale."

"Of course," Lilith smirked. She crossed her legs. "No one comes here without a deal in mind."

Snow White twiddled the pearl necklace that she had stolen last time they met. "So you're Rumplestiltskin's apprentice."

Lilith nodded and climbed out of the boat. "I am. I've been looking forward to meeting you again. Rumpy is in a bit of a twist right now. But, what can I do for you?

Snow White ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "I need a cure."

"For what, dear?"

"A broken heart."

Lilith sighed in sympathy. "The most painful of afflictions. I've suffered from one myself. I'm afraid if you want me to make him love you, I can't, and nothing can."

Snow White shook her head. "No, that's not the problem. We can't be together."

"Ah," Lilith smiled softly. "If you don't mind me asking, who is making you feel like this?"

Snow White looked skeptical but eventually told her. "James is his name."

Lilith briefly froze. "James...as in Prince James?" Aka David.

"You know him?"

"Better than most," Lilith muttered under her breath. She should have known that the little bastard would find someone else to poison. Lilith felt bad that Snow was the next victim of his wreckage. Lilith removed a vial from her pocket and filled it with water from the lake. She then extended her finger out, turning the liquid a milky white.

"That'll do it?" Snow asked.

"No, not yet. No two loves are... exactly alike. We must make this personal." Lilith plucked two hairs from Snow's head. Snow jumped a little, but didn't scream. Lilith placed one of the hairs in the potion and stirred it.

"So, if I drink that," Snow questioned. "I'll no longer love him?"

Lilith smirked softly as she finished stirring. "The next time you see him, you won't even remember who he is. Love is the most powerful magic. So the cure must be extreme. Trust me when I say this. Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love...has killed more than any disease. This cure is a gift."

"What's your price?" Snow asked.

Lilith held up the remaining hair. "This'll do."

"What do you need of my hair?"

"What do you need of it? It's been plucked from your head. Do we have a deal?

Snow took the vial. Lilith smiled. "Good girl. Drink it in good health, Snow White."

–

Regina approached Emma and Angie as they were loading Emma's car with some groceries. "Sheriff Swan, Deputy Frost. I need you to look into something. Someone's in town-someone new."

"Yeah, I know," Angie said as she loaded another bag into the car. "I gave him directions to Granny's."

Regina seemed a little shook. "You talked to him? Well, what'd he say?"

Angie shrugged. "He asked for directions. What's the big deal?"

Regina sighed. "I don't know. I asked around but no one seems to know anything. There's something about him-something familiar."

"He must be one of the untold millions you cursed," Emma muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Oh, you know, the curse. Henry's whole thing."

Regina sighed. "I need you two to find out who he is, what he wants, and what he's doing here."

"You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke," Emma fired back.

"This isn't about the law, Miss Swan. You're gonna do this because I asked you to and because you'll see it's the right thing to do."

"And that's because..?" Angie questioned.

"Because he was in front of my house, taking a particular interest in the one thing the three of us care about: Henry."

After hearing about that, Angie and Emma both agreed to look into the stranger. They found him at Granny's, drinking a cup of coffee. Emma rolled up her sleeves as Angie stretched. They were ready to make this pig squeal.

Now that they were closer to the stranger, Angie had more time to examine his characteristics. The stranger had sharp features and a chiseled face. He had short, dark brown hair and a medium amount of stubble along his cheeks and chin. The thing that stood out to Angie the most was his eyes. They were a piercing ice blue, like pools of water from the north. He seemed confident in whatever he was doing, even if it was just taking a sip of his coffee.

Emma slid into the booth across from the stranger. "We need to talk."

"Why?"

"Because," Angie replied. She grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it over. She sat on the chair backwards, and noted a large wooden case on the floor next to the stranger. "You're suspicious."

"Sitting here? Out in the open? Drinking coffee? I wonder what kind of hell I would have raised had I ordered a donut," the stranger replied sarcastically.

"You were talking to Henry," Emma replied matter of factly.

The stranger raised his eyebrows. "You mean the little kid who came up to me asking me questions? Is that unusual for him, being curious and precocious?"

Angie wasn't done with him. Something about him just didn't seem right. "What were you doing outside his house?"

"My bike broke down. It happens."

Angie tapped the box with her boot. "Your box. What's in it?"

The stranger smirked at her. "It's awfully frustrating, not knowing, isn't it?"

"Just tell me."

"Is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?" the man wondered.

Emma sighed with exasperation. "Of course it's not."

The stranger looked right at Angie. "You really want to know what's inside it, don't you?"

"Just tell us what's in the box, pretty boy."

The man smirked. "You know what, I'm gonna make you wait. You're gonna have to wait a long time, and watch me carry it around, hauling it to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment the mystery will become more tantalizing. Your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration, never knowing, only guessing, 'What could possibly be inside that box?' Or-" He leaned in, causing the girls to reluctantly lean in as well. "You could let me buy you a drink sometime and I'll tell you right now."

Angie chuckled. "Really. You want to buy us a drink?"

"One of you. Whoever wants it."

"She does," Angie said, clapping her hand on Emma's shoulder. Emma shot her a glare, but Angie shot her a look back. This was the only way they got to know what was in the box. Angie was willing to sacrifice one of Emma's nights for their cause.

Emma sighed. "Okay, a drink it is."

The stranger picked up his box and set it on the table in front of Emma and Angie. He paused for dramatic effect, eying both women up and down.

"Oh just open the damn box," Angie complained. She didn't have the patience for his shenanigans.

The stranger laughed and opened the box to reveal a typewriter. Emma sighed in exasperation. "Really?"

"I'm a writer," the stranger said simply.

"That's why you're here," Angie questioned. "God, you're boring."

"I find this place provides inspiration. Don't you?" He closed the box as there was a lightning flash outside from the storm.

Emma caught a possible flaw in his words. "Wait. Have you been here before?"

"I didn't say that," the stranger said as he got up. He left a tip on the table and grabbed his box.

"What about that drink?" Emma called after him.

"I said 'sometime'."

Emma and Angie watched as he left. Emma slapped Angie on the shoulder. "Why did you do that?"

Angie shrugged. "I didn't like him. He pissed me off. I got you a date at least."

Emma sighed and raised her hand to order a drink.

–

Lilith entered Rumplestiltskin's room to find him thrashing in his sleep. "Rumpy," she called loudly. Rumplestiltskin gave her no response, continuing to thrash. Lilith rolled her eyes and flicked her finger. Rumplestiltskin lifted five feet in the air and dropped onto the bed.

Rumplestiltskin jumped up. "Baelfire!"

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Rumplestiltskin jolted, just realizing that Lilith was there. "I need to find him. I need him to be safe."

It was official. He'd lost it. Lilith sighed before gently pushing him back into the bed. "Rumpy, you're delirious. You were thrashing in your sleep."

Rumplestiltskin paid her no mind. "I need to find him! It's my fault! I need him!"

Lilith removed a crushed poppy from her pocket. She poured some water into a bowl and diluted the poppy inside of it. She then grabbed the bowl and forced Rumplestiltskin's mouth open. He fought her, but Lilith was able to force all the concoction into his mouth and down his throat. Rumplestiltskin finally calmed down and went to sleep.

Lilith removed another poppy from her pocket, a pink one this time. She had severely underestimated the powers of the poppy. If she could strengthen the effects..Lilith smirked. She would get her revenge. And it would be sweet.