Apart But Always Together [RUMPELSTILTSKIN || OUAT || Crocodile's Love #3]

Chapter 16

Flashback: The Enchanted Forest - One Year Ago

Calista and Naomi were in the castle courtyard, Calista was watching Naomi sketching.

Neal and Belle walked up to them, "Cali..." Belle said.

Calista looked at them, "Hey you two, come to join us?" Calista asked.

"Actually... We're heading to Rumpel's castle," Belle said.

"You're looking for a way to bring him back?" Calista asked.

"Yeah and uh," Neal said.

"We're coming too... Come on Naomi," Calista said.

"Okay, Mama," Naomi said and stood up.

"Pack light, okay?" Neal said.

"I know Bae," Calista said with a smile.

End of Flashback

The next morning at the diner, Emma knocked on the door and Granny let her in, inside the diner were Mary Margaret, David, Killian, Regina, Ruby and Calista.

"If you want privacy, talk fast. We open in 20 and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon," Granny said.

"Is there any sign of our quarry?" Killian asked.

"I went all over that farmhouse and the land around it nothing... Naomi's locked it and nothing will break it," Emma said.

"Well, now that the sun's up, we should hit every place Gold might go his house, shop, his cabin," David said.

"Because dead men love vacation homes," Emma looked at Calista, "Sorry," Emma said.

"Yeah," Calista took out a set of keys, "The house spare and cabin spare," Calista said and handed them to David, "If Rumpel's out I should stay in one stay," Calista said.

"The shop?" Killian asked.

"Aye," Calista said and walked to the door.

"But can someone explain to me how this is even possible?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yeah, I like that explanation too... We all saw Gold, he..." Emma said.

"Disappeared into nothingness, I know," Calista said.

"I might have an inkling. When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back," Killian said.

"He was? How?" Calista asked.

"He didn't know how. Neal... He just... He missed his family and he was desperate to find a way to return to this world. He believed that bringing his father back was the key," Killian said.

Calista thought of something and walked out, running to the shop.

"Cali!" Killian called out and opened the door to see her going to door to the pawnshop, he sighed and looked at the others.

"Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong, because while Gold might be alive and kicking. Neal is... He's... We don't know what he is and Naomi is a prisoner for whoever the witch is," Emma said.

"We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke. No one's seen him since this new curse but he's out there and Naomi said he's not him, whatever that means. He's out there and left Naomi alone," Ruby said.