hope.

I've Got a Crocodile to Skin

"I'll pick you up later, okay?" Emma said as Hope got out of the car. She didn't reply, just acted like she was walking to the office, then ran the other way when the yellow bug was out of sight.

"Mr. Gold?" She asked and slowly closed the door.

"Hello, dearie," he said, coming from the back.

"How do I get rid of these powers?"

Gold looked wide-eyed at her.

"I thought you just wanted to escape the voice of Pan?"

"No, I don't want any of it. All it does it bad things, and I don't want it," she told him exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Luckily for you, darling, I happen to like magic, and I wouldn't mind having the power of the product of true love," Gold said and smiled.

"Then take it," she demanded.

"You need to get something for me first."

"What?"

"Your parents' wedding rings."

"How am I supposed to do that without them knowing? They never take them off," she explained to him. He pulled out something from behind his back.

"Sprinkle this on them when they are asleep, then take the rings. They will have no idea that they're gone," he said to her. She slowly went to grab the powder, then he yanked it away, which startled her.

"Make sure that you only sprinkle it on their nose," he said, then handed it to her again, and she took.

"What happens if I got it somewhere else?"

"You don't want to find out."

She stuffed the powder into her pocket, then left the shop.

"Hope, where have you been, we've been looking everywhere for you! Your mom said that you were coming half an hour ago," Archie said, holding Pongo's leash back.

"I was coming, but I got distracted."

"Where did you go?"

"I can't tell you," she said. Archie looked down, then back up at her with a smile.

"That's okay. I think we should start our session now that I found you," he told her and they walked to his office.

She sat on the couch and petted Pongo while Archie was doing something with paperwork.

"One second, I'll be right there," Archie said. She nodded, then felt her pocket start heating up. Hope reached down and grabbed the powder, only to see it glowing bright. She shoved it back as Archie approached.

"What's in your pocket?" He asked. She looked down and saw it glowing through the fabric of her jeans.

"It helps me when I'm nervous so I keep it close," she lied, which Archie immediately detected, though he didn't say anything.

"So, your mother told me about you getting distracted a lot lately. Is something bothering you?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"This entire situation. I need to be somewhere else right now," she blurted out. They shared a brief look, before she was gone. He was going to grab his phone to call Emma, but he noticed that the thing in her pocket fell out. He picked it up and examined it, then called Emma.

Hope dug through her pockets, searching for the magic. She knew that she left it on the couch, but hoped that it would somehow show up.

Hope pondered going back to get it, but she knew she would get caught, not only by Archie, but by her parents and Gold too. She ran to the nearest pond and sat on the edge of the pier, it the water helped her calm down. After sitting there for awhile, she got up and turned around to see her father.

"What the bloody hell is this?" He asked, holding up the magical powder. She ran up to him and tried to grab it, but he pulled it higher so that she couldn't reach it.

"I need it to get rid of my powers," she said with honesty. His face stayed hard as a rock with anger.

"The Crocodile gave this to you, didn't he?" He questioned. She didn't reply, but gave him eyes full of sorrow, so he softened up and leaned down on one knee.

"Hope, I'm not angry at you, I just want to know who gave you this," he told her.

"I got it from Mr. Gold."

Hook stood up in anger again, grabbed his daughters hand, then stomped away.

"Hope! You scared the hell out of me," Emma said as she ran up to the mad pirate almost dragging the little girl.

"Not now, Swan, I've got a crocodile to skin," Killian said and continued. She grabbed his arm with a tight grip to stop him.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"That bloody Rumplestiltskin gave this magical dirt to Hope to help her get rid of her powers."

"You don't want your powers?"

"Not really," Hope said. Emma looked straight into Killian's eyes, then grabbed Hope's other hand and they both marched down to Mr. Gold's shop.

"Nice to see we have a family reunion," Gold said as the three of them bursted in through the door.

"What the hell do you want her magic for?" Emma said.

"Simply because it's magic."

"You would really go as low as taking advantage of a child to get magic?" She asked.

"Magic is magic, dearie," he said and grinned. Hook let go of Hope's hand and came millimeters from Gold's face.

"You're lucky my daughter is right behind me, because I would be skinning you right here and now, crocodile," he said and backed up.

"I'm only doing what she came and asked me to do," he told them. Emma and Hook looked down at her, then back at Gold.

"We aren't done," Emma said, then the family went back to their house.

"Why did you go to him, of all people?"

"Because he seemed like he knew a lot more about it."

"Hope, don't you realize that I am in the exact same position you are? I can help you, you just have to tell me what's wrong," Emma said, and Killian gave her a look.

"What?" She asked him.

"She seems to have inherited your stubbornness," he told her, and Emma rolled her eyes, and Hope got up.

"I'm trying to help you guys out. I'm a threat to you guys when I have magic, so I am getting rid of it, and you aren't going to stop me," she said and went to her room.

"And your dedication," Emma said to Killian, then followed her up the stairs. She opened the door and saw a rope of shirts hanging out of the window, but Hope wasn't there.