Gold

{62}

I felt my mind racing to so many different places at once. Rumple was alive? How was he alive? How had he been resurrected? I had a feeling that Baelfire and I had something to do with it, even if I couldn't remember that year in the Enchanted Forest.

I knew I wouldn't give up on getting Rumple back. I must have found a way to save him. But was he even saved if he was now in the grasp of the Witch?

I tried to stop thinking of all the possibilities as I walked into Granny's behind everyone else.

"If you want privacy, talk fast. We open in twenty and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon." Granny stated to our group before walking off.

"Is there any sign of our quarry?" Hook asked Emma. Emma had asked him and Tinkerbell to come since they could remember their time in the Forest. And while they didn't spend very long with our group there, they might know something that could help us.

"I went all over the farmhouse and everything around it. Nothing." Emma stated. Her and I had spent most of the night looking for any trace of Rumple or Bae. We hadn't found anything, which had saddened me, but I knew they had to be out there.

"Well, now that the sun is up, we should hit every place Gold might go. His shop, his house, his cabin." Charming stated.

"Cause dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible? We all saw Gold, he.." Emma trailed off.

"Disappeared into nothingness, I know." Snow added and I winced.

"I might have an idea. About three months after Tink and I left the group, I heard rumors of Princess Claire and the Dark One's son. Rumors that they were looking for ways to bring him back." Hook stated and everyone turned to me.

"Maybe we were successful. That doesn't explain why I haven't found Bae yet. He should be here." I stated.

"He's out there somewhere." Charming told me.

"With all due respect, we have bigger issues right now, than who brought Gold back. The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement for one. I wanna know what the hell she's cooking up with him." Regina stated.

"There's no way he's there by his own choice. She must have struck while his guard was down. And she must have his dagger. He would have made it away by now if she didn't have it." I told them all.

"Well the best way to find our what's going on would be to ask Gold, right?" Snow suggested.

"He tells us who the witch is, we can track her down." Charming agreed with a nod.

"I'm going back to that farmhouse. It's possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or special ingredient." Regina stated.

"Just be careful." Emma told her, looking concerned. Regina's face softened as she smiled softly at Emma.

"I will. But she's the one that needs to be careful." Regina stated as she walked off.

I turned back to the group then.

"I'll go wait for Rumple at the shop. He could show up anytime."

"Just be-"

"Careful, I know." I told Emma with a nod.

"Do you need someone to stay with you at the shop?" Hook asked me and I turned to him in surprise.

"You're volunteering?"

"Well, I figured Tink and I are better than no one. We can protect you."

I wanted to say I could protect myself, but I appreciated the offer, so I just nodded.