The New Curse || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Five

Chapter Five--Medicine for the Sick

~Storybrooke~

Another week turned into two, which turned into a month and before the citizens of Storybrooke knew it, two more months had past. Henry and Roland's list was almost complete. In the past two moths, then had figured out most of the characters.

There were a few characters who didn't seem to have Storybrooke counterparts; Cora/the Queen of Hearts, Maleficent, Ursula, and the Huntsman, for example. But most everyone else was there.

"So what are you going to do with that list now?" Emma asked Henry. The two were eating supper at Granny's while Neal was working.

"Go through it again," he replied without looking up. "I'm still not completely convinced Regina is the Evil Queen..."

"What convinces you she isn't Snow White?" Emma questioned, "Apart from the fact that Robin isn't Prince Charming?"

That sent Henry spiraling into an explanation of how since David has a scar matching Prince Charming's, he must be Charming, and Charming and Snow will "always find each other". Henry was almost done with his speech when Mr. and Mrs. Gold entered Granny's. Mr. Gold went to find a table for he and Belle while Belle stepped over to talk to Henry and Emma. Emma mouthed 'hello,' so she didn't interrupt Henry.

Henry stopped his explanation to look up at Belle, "Hi."

"Hello," Belle smiled. "So, Henry, do you still have that list?"

Henry nodded and handed the list to Belle. "Why?"

"I was wondering if you were still looking for evidence that this is all real," Belle said as she skimmed over the list.

Henry shrugged. "I'm mostly confused about what happened between the end of the book and now. Something obviously happened, but I have no idea what...It's like someone erased the middle of a sentence, and all you've got is the beginning and end."

"Interesting. Well, from what I've heard, I think Emma must have somehow broke the curse."

Emma rolled her eyes at this. "I never broke a curse."

"If the book is real, you did," Belle argued. "Then I'd say if Regina really is the Evil Queen, something happened and Regina saw that she had been wrong. You're right-this can't be the first curse because Regina is friends with Mary Margaret, who is Snow White. If this was the first curse, Regina would never allow that to happen. I'd guess we ran i to another villain who cast the Dark Curse again."

"I like that idea," Henry approved. "But how is this curse supposed to be broken? Maybe we could figure it out if we knew how the first curse was broken..."

"Maybe. Well, you think about that. I'm going to go eat." Belle handed Henry the list back.

Henry read over the list again before folding it up and putting it in his pocket, only he and Roland believed that the storybook was true, everyone else in Storybrooke just went along with it, so as to not crush the boys' hopes and dreams. But Henry wanted to find some way to prove the book was real.

~The Enchanted Forest~

Spinning, spinning, spinning. That was what Rumpelstiltskin spent most if his time doing. That is, when he wasn't making deals. And while Rumpelstiltskin was spinning straw into gold, Belle was cleaning or reading or doing a combination of the two.

There was a knock on the doors of Rumpelstiltskin's castle.

"Would you get that?" The Dark One asked as he continued to spin his straw. Belle sighed before walking over to the door and opening it. A woman was standing at the door. A woman who Belle recognized.