Once Upon a Time 1. Petting Zoo

The young boy in front of her radiated excitement as she shifted back into her human form.

"Whoa! Your eyes are still different colors!"

Temnen smiled and crouched down so Henry could get a closer look at her eyes.

"Of course, That's where the magic comes from," She pointed at her left eye, a bright blue color. "This one takes in the image of the animal, its shape, size, color, organs, bones, even its genetics. Every physical part of the animal gets analyzed. And this one," Pointing to her other eye, a vibrant green. "This one analyzes its mind. It tells me everything I need to know about the animal's instincts. What they eat, drink, and where to find it. How they live day to day and survive."

Henry's smile grew as she explained, his mind taking everything Temnen was telling him. She was one of the most amazing people he had ever met. A Shape-shifter!

"That is so cool! You can be any animal you want just by looking at them. I mean, can you look at just pictures of them? Can you look at a picture of a dinosaur and turn into-"

"Henry! Slow down kid." Temnen laughed as she sat back on her heels, kneeling on the floor.

"It's just so cool T, it's the most science like magic I've seen."

"That's about as far as the science part goes though. Unfortunately I can't just look at an animal, I have to touch them too. Looking just tells me about its body and mind but to use that information, I need to know it's spirit too. What it mean to be that animal, how it connects to the world around it." She let out a small chuckle at the slightly disgruntled face the 11 year old was making. "Think of it like an app on your phone. One eye downloads the the app, the body of the game. The other eye installs the app, all the information and technical stuff. But you can't use the app until...?" Smirking expectantly at him, she gestured with her hand for him to continue for her.

"You have to touch the app to open it. That's what the spirit gives you, the ability to put it all together and use it."

"Yes. Exactly. I have specs and knowledge of tons of animals that I just haven't been about to get close enough to touch yet. I can use that information as normal thoughts but I can't change into that form until I can touch their spirit."

"...So you can't turn into a dinosaur?"

Temnen let out a loud laugh as she stood up and ruffled Henry's hair. As smart and mature as the kid might be, he was still a kid.

"Sorry kid. I've been in this world for a long time, but not that long. I can turn into a dragon though." She laughed again as his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. "I've been to lots of worlds Henry, not just this one and the Enchanted Forest. I'll tell you what, since today is Friday we can spend the weekend together if it's okay with your mom, and I'll show you whatever animal I can. This world or another."

Henry surged forward and caught Temnen in a fierce hug around her middle, barely giving her time to respond before he was headed for the door of the shop, a huge smile on his face as he called over his shoulder.

"This is gonna be awesome T! I'll go ask mom right now. It's gonna be so much fun!"

She sighed and shook her head with a smile on her face as the bell above the door fell silent. The soft thump of a cane sounded behind her causing her to turn and grin as her boss. Mr. Gold gave her a small smirk and handed her a pair of silver stud earrings, a faint glow surrounding them.

"You neglected to tell the boy that your energy drains each time you change."

"Yeah well, I can handle a few days being rundown. It's worth it, Henry needs some time to just be a kid again. If that means I spend a day or two playing a walking, talking petting zoo then so be it." She reached out and took the shining jewelry that was offered to her. "Besides, you're too nice to me, I knew you would come up with something to help."

Mr. Gold chucked and leaned on his cane with both hands. He was far too soft with the girl, he always had been, even back home. He nodded at the studs sitting in her hand

"Those will keep you stable as long as you wear them, but they are single use only. Once you take them out the enchantment is gone. Be careful how long you have them in, you will feel the loss of energy. The longer you use them, the harder you will crash once you remove them. Set a few days aside to recover, you'll need it."

"Got it. Put them in when Henry and I are about to start, and take them out when I get home after so I can go straight to bed. I guess I'll let Archie know I'll be MIA for a few days." She pocketed the studs and smirked at her boss, placing her hands on her hips. "You gonna be able to run this place without me keeping an eye on things? I'm a valuable employee you know. Things might fall apart without me here."

He chucked again as he turned around and walked across the shop, heading towards his office in the back. "I believe I'll manage for a few days. Besides, I hardly think I'll miss you napping on the job my dear." He gestured to the small cat bed sitting on the front counter, her preferred spot to spend her days watching over the shop while he was in the back working on things. He knew she was hardly asleep most of the time, and if she was, like all cats she would wake at the smallest sounds. "Run along now dearie, no doubt Miss. Swan will need the whole story. Young Henry seems far too excited to articulate properly at the moment."

With a smile and a quick wave, Temnen left the pawn shop and headed towards Emma and Mary Margret's apartment.


	2. Change

A small gray mouse scurried across the roof top, her tiny feet working overtime to get her to the other side of the building before it was too late. Twice she had missed the traveling shows, all because she was too small and couldn't compete with the bigger kids for a good spot. Now though, now she used her size to her advantage.

A quick stop at the edge of the roof gave her a perfect view down into the village square where a colorful wooden stage was set up, kids and adults all crowded in front of it. This was a new show, she had never seen this stage or the wagon behind it before, she hoped the show was good. Not a moment later the curtains parted and the puppet show began. The story of a knight fighting a dragon to rescue a princess was an old one, but the jokes and quirks added in made it wonderful.

It wasn't long before she noticed a boy about her size, shaggy red curls on his head, moving through the crowd. At first she thought he was trying to work his way to the front to watch the show but he made a brief stop at the side of each adult before quickly moving on to the next. She caught a glimpse through the crowd and watched him cut the bottom of a coin bag, slipping the freed coins into the bag at his own side.

'He's a thief!'

Forgetting the puppet show, she watched the boy until he left the gathering and walked behind the puppet stage and into the large wagon behind it. It took her only a moment to realize this boy must be part of the family putting on the show, which meant the whole thing was a scam, a distraction while the little cut-purse worked his magic. No wonder she had never seen them before, they never went to the same village twice, lest they get caught. With a small huff she ran along the edge of the roof, closer to the boy sitting in the back door of the wagon. He had taken his loaded bag off and stashed it inside and was now sitting quietly eating a small chunk of bread.

A small jump sent her off the edge of the roof towards the wagon. In a quick moment gray fur became soft blue feathers, tiny paws became large black wings and talons, nose and whiskers became a beak and her long thin tail became long black tail feathers. Her eyes, one blue and one green, were the only things to stay the same. With a slight tilt of her tail and a quick flap of her wing the large raven landed softly on the steps next to the boy's feet. Its gave her a burst of satisfaction when he jumped up as she landed.

She cawed loudly and jumped towards him, causing him to jump off the steps back away from the door a bit. Taking her moment, she quickly turned and grabbed the small bag full of stolen goods and took off into the air, just out of the boys reach. With a small shout he ran after he as she flew away from the wagon and the crowd. She came to a stop in a empty ally on the other side of town, standing on the bag in a defensive stance as the boy stopped at the mouth of the ally, panting.

"Stop! I need that! I'll be in trouble if I don't bring that back, my parents will get so mad.."

She watched him for a moment as he took a few steps closer, try not to scare her off and have to chase after her again. With a quick though she stepped off the bag and changed again. The boy fell back onto the ground as the raven in front of him became a small girl with mismatched eyes and long yellow hair. She reached down and picked up the bag, holding it tightly in her hand as she glared.

"None of this belongs to you! You're a thief, and I should turn the lot of you in."

Quick to recover over fear of the guards he jumped up and help his hands out. "Please don't! I need that, you don't know how mad they'll get if I bring nothing back. I'll be in so much trouble. Please don't call the guards, we're leaving the village tonight, we won't steal from them again, I swear!" He was almost to the brink of tears as he begged her to return the bag. She watched him thoughtfully for a moment.

"What's your name?"

"..Jiminy."

With caution she opened the bag and took a look at everything inside. After a quick count she took a handful of coins and slipped them into her own purse at her belt before closing and tossing the bag back to the stunned boy.

"A fair trade Jiminy. I get half of your coins for not turning you in, and you don't have to go back to your parents empty handed." She smirked and waved as she turned down the alley and walked away.

"Wait!" She stopped and looked back at the small ginger boy, waiting for him to continue. "What's your name?"

"I'm Temnen. And next time you steal Jiminy, try not to get stolen from. It's bad for business."

She flashed him a quick smile before changing into a raven and flying away. She had a feeling she was going to meet the thief Jiminy again, and she couldn't wait for that day to come.


	3. Magic

It had been 28 years since she felt it, the feeling of magic.

28 years ago she felt the strong burst of magic for just a moment while she wandered the woods of Canada. It must have been hundreds of miles away, but she would never forget that feeling. Too quickly it died out and she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth. They say you never miss something more then when you lose it but they were wrong, it wasn't until you found it and lost it a second time that you truly begin to miss it.

It had taken her years of wondering and still she had no clue where the magic had come from. 18 years of running and flying, looking and searching, yet she found nothing. Until one day a fat gray pigeon landed on a bench next to her, a note had been tied to its leg.

'Storybrooke, Maine, USA - B'

Maine was close, only a few states away. It didn't show up on any map, but a small article about a missing father came up on a internet search. A boy had lost his father during a camping trip in Maine, but the boy swore his father had been kidnapped and held in fictional town called Storybrook, 18 years ago. It was too strange to be a coincidence, so she had made she way there as quickly as she could.

Hours of flying and she finally made it. A small town in the forest of Maine. Taking the form of a cat, she strolled down the street, silently thankful when she found the one man she figured could tell her what was going on. Rumpelstiltskin. She had followed him for days watching and waiting for him to notice her, but he hardly glanced at her. When she realized no one in the town knew who they really were she knew she had to stay and do something. It took weeks for this new Rumpelstiltskin, Mr. Gold to notice her and warm up to her, but she finally found a place to stay in his pawn shop.

She did the jobs any working cat would do, catch unwelcome critters around the store, keep a close eye on any visitors, though they were few and far between, and most importantly she watched the town. Waiting. 10 years of waiting for the curse to break. 10 years of being called Cat by Mr. Gold. 10 years of visiting the one anomaly in town other than herself. A boy named Henry Mills. She followed him everywhere when she could. Until the day he left town in search of his mother, the Savior.

That was 2 days ago, and as she sat on the sidewalk outside the shop, waiting for Mr. Gold to come back from collecting rent from Granny, she watched the hands on the clock tower finally move. Things would be changing around here. Starting with her work relationship with her boss. Temnen let out a loud rumbling purr as Mr. Gold stepped up to the door of his shop. With a quick glance down at her, he opened the door and stepped in. She was quick to follow, if she wasn't in when he went to close it he would leave her outside. Mr. Gold did not care for the niceties of owning a cat. She had food and water and that was enough for him.

Her mismatched eyes stood out brightly against the black of her fur while she watched him from her seat next to the front door. He had gotten to the doorway of the back room, his office, before he turned to wait for her. "Come along Temnen, we have much to discuss."

She let out an pleased meow and rubbed against his good leg as she passed him into the back, finally changing back into a human after all these years once she was safely out of view of the street. "I hope you know you are a horrible cat owner Gold. I mean really, leave a poor defenseless cat out in the cold all night. I hardly got any attention from you, I practically had to whore myself out to the rest of the town for anyone to scratch behind my ears, it's a disgrace." Hands on her hips and a pout on her lips, Temnen turned around and watched as Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes and glared at her.

"You are hardly defenseless my dear. And you know you would have had more luck as a dog, so stop complaining."

"True. So I take it you had Regina cast the curse and this is where it got you, and you added a loophole to get your memories back when The Savior finally came?" Temnen stretched and flexed all her muscles as she spoke, glad to be back in her human body after so long.

Mr. Gold sat at his desk and watched his ward get used to her own body once more. "Of course. Everything according to plan so far. It will only be a matter of time before the curse is broken and everyone remembers, then I will bring magic back and go find my son. The real question is, how are you here dearie? You should have died years ago, yet you look only slightly older then when you left." Her blond hair had been resting on her shoulders in light waves decades ago when he saw her off, and now was clear down to her waistline. He knew she was prone to slower aging due to her magical nature but not enough to indefinitely halt it for decades.

"About that..." She shifted nervously and picked at her short nails, not quite knowing how to explain to him without him getting angry. "I sorta ended up in... Neverland.. and stayed there for some time.." with a deep breath she closed her eyes and continued. "Baelfire was there." After a long moment of silence, she glanced at Rumpelstiltskin, his jaw was clenched and his hands were in tight fists on top of his desk. Before he could explode in rage she quickly rambled out the rest. "I looked after him once I found out it was him. He stayed away from Pan and we found a way off the island. He's back here, in this world again, safe. I promise."

"Where?"

"I don't know, he won't tell me. He knows my connection to you, he ran off soon after we got back here and covered his tracks well. I get messages from him sometimes, but he uses pigeons, which have got to be the stupidest birds I have ever met. They hardly know where they are much less where they came from. It's been impossible for me to track them back to him. But he's safe."

With a few deep breaths he stood up and paced the small space in the room. After a few laps he turned to her and spoke calmly. "Then nothing has changed, once Miss. Swan breaks the curse and I bring magic to this sorry little town, I will go find Bae. All that matters, is that he is safe and within reach." He sent her a knowing look. "And you would do well to search for your cut-purse once he remembers who he really is. Though he has changed in the years you've been gone, so do be careful."

"Rumpelstiltskin, are you worried about my love life?"

"Hardly my dear, you're an absolute menace when you're in a bad mood, I can't have that if you are to continue to work for me."

"And what will doing now that you know it's me? Before I just took it upon myself to keep an eye on the shop. Watch people when they came in, see what they were looking at and what their intent might be."

"And the hunting?"

"Instinct mostly. I probably would have done it even if it wasn't, just for fun really."

Mr. Gold chuckled and sat back down at his desk, pulling out some paperwork. "Feel free to continue with whatever you want. Until the curse breaks I have no need for assistance around the shop. It would cause quite a stir if a stranger were to suddenly show up and start working for me as well. Enjoy your feline freedoms while you can, no doubt things will get quite busy soon enough."

"Fair enough." Bending down and placing a quick kiss to his cheek, she laughed at his disgruntled face and changed back into a cat as she left the back room intent on lounging in her favorite spot by the heater.


	4. Gold

She knew she would see him again, there was something about him that pulled at her, she didn't know what it was but she intended to find out now that she had him in her sights again. As she looked down from the tree branch she sat on, Temnen couldn't help but ruffle her feathers contently. Almost 8 years ago she had met the boy, but now it seemed he was a man. He looked older than her own 17 years, he must have been small for his age when they first met.

He stood tall now, with small glasses and fit in body but not noticeably muscled. No doubt as he grew the manner of thievery changed and kept him in shape. It seemed many things had not changed however, he was walking next to the same large wagon as before, the same red curls sat upon his head. And the same forlorn expression upon his face as when he sat in the wagon all those years ago.

A silent leap from the trees had her changing from the large owl she was into the same raven he had seen before. With quiet clicks she landed atop the the moving wagon and watched the man she knew as Jiminy. It wasn't long before the wagon pulled to a stop and an older woman stepped out of the back, carrying a full bag of what she assumed was stolen goods. An equally aged man came around from the front and the pair of them stood in from in the ginger man they called son.

"We'll wait right here son, while you head on towards the town. And remember-"

"I know, get as much money for as much of the stuff as I can. Don't use my real name, and don't mention the two of you. I remember. It's the same every time."

With smug smiles they handed Jiminy the bag and shooed him off towards the next town to fence the stolen goods. A brisk walk away from the wagon sent her flying off to follow him, careful to keep to the trees until he was far enough away from his family. At the right moment, Temnen swooped down and landed right on the shoulder of the now very startled man.

"What in th-" Making eye contact quieted him quickly as he soon realized he had seen those mismatched eyes before, on the very same raven. "Y-you're that girl. The one from before.."

A quiet caw and a short jump had Temnen on the ground in front of him. But while a bird jumped, a young woman landed. A loose shirt and pants were on odd thing for a woman, but the same yellow waves fell to her shoulders as blue and green eyes shinned, and pink lips smirked at him.

"My name is Temnen if you forgot. And if you want a good price for that loot, then this is your lucky day Jiminy." He really should have expected it but when she swiped the bag from his hand, he quickly lost his grip. She was the same as he remembered, even as a woman. Sly, confident and magical. A very dangerous combination in a thief, and adding the fact that she could become a bird, he's surprised she even bothered to speak to him rather then swoop in and take it from him again. Not to mention a beautiful woman could do so much damage if she knew how to use people. His eye refocused on hers as she cleared her throat, obviously seeing his thoughts had wandered.

"S-sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, If you want the best price for this stuff, you should come with me. I'll buy this all from you." She stepped off the path in into the trees, forcing him to follow if he wanted his items back or the price for them. They walked a long while in silence, before he started to ask questions, but a quick 'Keep up Jiminy." was his only reply. It was almost dark when the finally broke the tree line and he caught sight of their destination. He stopped short of leaving the trees as he sputtered at her, causing her to stop and turn back to him.

"Th-that's..that's the D-dark Castle.."

Temnen marched back to him with a heavy sigh and grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her. "I know Jiminy, but if you want me to pay you the best price for this stuff then you'll have to follow me." She didn't leave him much choice as she pulled him along through the front gate and up to the castle doors. They open silently as she approached and shut just as quietly once she and her trembling guest were inside. "I'm home!" She sang loudly after she let go of his hand and walked into a large room with a long table in the middle. The sight in the far corner of the room had Jiminy stopping dead in his tracks in the doorway. The Dark One sat at a spinning wheel, piles of straw around him and a thin line of gold falling through his fingers. He didn't even look up as he spoke.

"Years with no word and the first thing you do when you get back is bring home a boy? Hardly proper etiquette dearie."

"Since when have you cared for proper etiquette Rumpelstiltskin, besides, he's a client not a conquest." There was a loud clatter as she overturned the bag onto the table, setting it aside to count out its contents. "My client I should say, so keep away from him. You scare enough of my business away as it is, I don't need you scaring off my friends too." She turned and sneered as Rumpelstiltskin giggled, still spinning at his wheel, before she turn to the still frozen man in the doorway. "Come sit down Jiminy, ignore Rumple, he doesn't bother my clients if I don't bother his. And he knows better than to do anything to my friends, I'll drive him crazy if he does." She smiled with a quick glance back at her guardian. "Well, crazier." But Jiminy still didn't move.

"He's a bit skittish, isn't he dearie."

"Anyone with a brain in their skull would be around you." A mumbling reply. "Don't worry Jiminy, almost done." Temnen walked over to the spinning wheel and picked the end of the thin thread of gold that had been coiling at the Dark One's feet, Cutting a few feet of it off with a pair of large shears nearby. She help it out in her hand for her guardian to see. "Into a bag of coins please."

With a quick wave of his hand, the long string of gold became a heavy coin purse sitting in her hand. "There, now leave. I've had peace and quiet for months now and as soon as you come home it's shattered. You make too much noise to be a decent thief."

"Noise doesn't matter when a mouse can walk right into someone's home. I'll be back soon, after I show Jiminy the way through the forest, it's too dark for him to find it on his own."

"Yes, yes, go on then dearie, And try not to slam the door."

Temnen rolled her eyes as he turn back to Jiminy, walking across the room and gently leading him out of the castle once more. It wasn't until the door closed silently behind them that the poor man finally found his voice. "What just happened..?" With a quiet sigh, Temnen slowed her pace to walk next to him and explain.

"I'm a fence Jiminy, you had stolen goods, I bought them from you. My connection to the Dark One has nothing to do with it, I just happen to live with him and do my business from home. I also use the massive amounts of gold thread he creates as payment. Normally I just leave it as thread but I think that would raise a few questions if you came back with gold that was clearly from Rumpelstiltskin."

"But- I mean- How do you know Rumpelstiltskin in the first place?"

"I stole from him."

"You what?!"

She let out a simple chuckle at the genuine concern he showed for her and looped her arm through his as they continued walking through the trees, ignoring his blushing glance as she did. "It was about a year or so after I met you. The middle of winter and I was freezing. When I came upon the castle I figured I might as well try and find something warm for myself. If I didn't I would die. Back then I didn't have a very wide range of animals I could change into, and none that could survive the harsh winter alone at my age."

"Wait, you can change into other animals? Not just a raven?" Jiminy had pulled them to a stop and looked at her in awe. She smiled and pulled him along by their linked arms to begin walking again.

"Of course Jiminy, I'm a Shape-Shifter, as long as I can physically see and touch an animal I can become it. That's where I've been the last year or so, traveling to find new animals, and being a damn good thief because of it. But back to my story." She sent a small playful glare his way for interrupting. "I figured if I was going to die, then I would die trying to save myself, so I found a way into the castle. I climbed the wall and opened a shutter, sneaking into a empty hallway. I found the first room I could and grabbed as many curtains and blankets as I could before making my way back to the window I climbed in."

"He knew you were there didn't he?"

Temnen laughed as she stopped at the path she had intercepted him on this afternoon. She would finish her story before sending him on his way back to his parents wagon down the path. "He did. I got back into the hallway and turned for the window when he called out to me from the other end. Without even thinking I dropped everything and turned into a bird, flying for safety as fast as my little wings would take me. But a little bird is nothing against the Dark One. He closed the shutters before I could get to them. Locked me in with nowhere to go. Turned into a wolf as quick as I could and growled and barked at him as hard as I could. Thankfully he thought he could use my magic, kept me alive and even took care of me, trained me to be able to change forms with using less energy. I ended up being able to change almost 3 times as many times, before I passed out."

"Why would he need you? He's the Dark One." Jiminy took the opportunity to sit down next to a tree, leaning into it as he asked his question. He was silently pleased when Temnen sat down next to him and continued.

"That's what I thought. But it turns out, my magic is different. It's an earthen magic, more natural than others. I guess when someone magically changes into an animal, they still have a magical aura that other people can sense if they know how, and there's no hiding it. But I don't have that. I literally become the animal while retaining my own mind. I think that's why I have to touch an animal before I can become them. I tap into spirit of the animal and how they naturally blend into the world around them, that is what Rumpelstiltskin wanted. I could sneak and spy for him with no trace of magic. Which I had no problem with, I hadn't had a home since I could walk, if working for the Dark One meant I got one now, so be it."

"What happened to your parents?"

Temnen smiled at the soft question, he was far too sweet for his own good. "That my darling cut-purse, is a tale for another time." She stood up and dusted the dirt from her pants before holding a hand out to help him up as well. With a blush at being called darling, he took her hand and pulled himself up to stand before her.

"I didn't mean to bring up bad memories, I just want to know more about you.." His blush deepened when she smiled sweetly at him and he realized he said the last part out loud. "What I mean is- you're just- um.." He looked down at his hand in embarrassment only to find her smaller one still held in his. She tightened her grip in his before to could drop her hand and leaned forward placing a light kiss to his cheek, pulling back with a smirk as his face flamed as red as his hair.

"Go home Jiminy, I'll find you again." She set the heavy bag of coins in the hand she just released and smiled at him as she turned, leaving the blushing man to stare after her in a daze as she walked back into the forest.


	5. Heat

The loud thud of a book hitting the floor sounded throughout the house. It sat at the feet of a very shocked and confused Jiminy Cricket, or in this world, Dr. Archie Hopper. He stood his living room, staring at his sofa, where his faithful dog Pongo lounged, along with a second dalmatian, both watching with wagging tails. After a moment to get over his initial shock, Archie turn to look back into the kitchen, to the dog door that led into the backyard. The completely fenced in, locked gate, only way in and out was through the house, backyard. He looked back at the pair of spotted dogs on his sofa, tails still wagging. He adjusted his glasses and bent down to pick up the book at his feet, only to drop it again once he stood back up.

The strange dog had been replaced with a woman. A woman wearing a sleeveless white blouse, black skinny jeans and high heeled black booties. But it was her short blond hair and her mismatched blue and green eyes that stood out to him though. Jiminy knew those eyes anywhere, and how he overlooked them on the dog she was just a moment ago was beyond him. She smiled as she stood up and walked towards him, lightly kicking the book to the side once she reached him. Neither said a word for a moment, just taking the other in. In a flash Archie's hand darted to the back of her neck as he pulled Temnen forward the last few inches and kissed her, hard.

Her arms quickly lifted to rest on his shoulders, tightening in the fabric of his white button up as his free hand landed on her hip. The need for more air pulled him away from her mouth while his hands stayed where they were. He smiled as a wicked grin lit up her face.

"Now, where did that kinda of behavior come from Dr. Hopper?" Temnen leaned flush against him and placed soft kisses along his jaw as she spoke. "Not that I'm complaining. 80 something years apart with hardly any action beforehand." She smirked at his dazed look and gripped the collar of his shirt. "Show me what you got Jiminy." And she pulled him down to meet her in a passionate kiss again. He reached down and lifted her up, letting her legs wrap around his waist as he walked towards his bedroom, mumbling quietly again her lips.

"Oh god, I missed you."


	6. Comfort

The smell of bacon hit her sensitive nose as she woke up the next morning. With a satisfying stretch, Temnen wandered out of bed in nothing but her panties and grabbed the discarded white button up off the floor. It came to the top of her thighs once she finally got it on and it smelled wonderfully like the darling man she found in the kitchen making breakfast.

He turned and glanced at her as she walked in, Pongo lifting his head from his own food bowl as she passed him next to the doorway. "You're just in time, the eggs just finished." A small hop had her sitting on the empty island counter to watch Archie finish scooping scrambled eggs onto a couple plates that already had bacon and buttered toast waiting. Temnen took the time to appreciate the sight of him in a loose t shirt and a pair of thin flannel sleeping pants as he placed a plate down next to her. Before he could walk away to get drinks for the two of them, she pulled him close and kissed him lightly, pulling back with a soft smile that he returned.

"You are far too sweet for your own good Archie. What did I ever do to deserve this wonderful morning?"

He gave her a sad smile and brushed his fingers across her cheek as he kissed her again. "I thought you were dead. For years and years I thought you were dead, then I forgot everything, and when I remembered again I almost threw it all away. I know you were mad at me for almost crossing the town line, I'm mad at myself to be honest. I figured it out this morning Tem, you've been here all along. Mr. Gold never would have let a cat live in his shop, you followed Henry around for years to look after him. But you never came to see me, even as some random cat. Why?" He let both his hands rest at her waist, holding her gaze while he waited for a reply.

"It hurt to much, seeing you and knowing you didn't know who I was let alone remember what we've been through.. and I was ashamed." She glanced down to her hands, fingers picking at the hem of the shirt. Gentle hands brought her face back up before finding a place on the back of her neck, his thumbs brushing just under her ears lightly.

"Ashamed of what?"

"Before the curse, after I came back from traveling, I went to find you again but when I finally did.. you were with a young boy, helping him, teaching him. You were a cricket, I could feel the fairy magic on you and I knew you chose that fate. A fairy wouldn't do that without consent. I thought you gave up on waiting for me, and I just got so mad, I let my temper get the better of me and I rushed off without going to talk to you. I went back home to the castle and stayed there for weeks, locked in my room angry and sad then angry again. Rumple finally got fed up with it and told me to stop whining and do something about it.. so I left again. And I didn't come back. When I finally found out what really happened, why you became a cricket, it was too late, I was in the middle of things I couldn't give up on. I couldn't come home to find you.."

Temnen fought hard against the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, eyes that still held the gaze of the ginger haired man she loved. Her emotions were her worst enemy. Because of her connection with the world around her she felt things more strongly than most, and it got her in trouble a lot. She let her temper get away from her often and found it hard to admit her faults afterward. She trusted far too easily as a child and it hurt her deeply, as an adult she had trouble trusting fully. But when she did she was a fierce friend, sometimes needlessly putting herself in harm's way before thinking, if only to protect those she loved. It wasn't a stretch to say that her animal instincts bled into her human emotions, she spent so much time as animals it would be strange for them not to.

"If anything sweetheart, I should be the one ashamed." A sad smile graced his face as he wiped the few lose tears from her cheeks. "I was horrified at what I had done to those poor people, at what I would have done to my own parents." Archie reached up and took her hands in his when she placed them on his shoulders, holding them tightly as he continued. "When Rumpelstiltskin game me that potion, all I was thinking about was getting away from them and finally being with you forever." He placed a quick kiss to her knuckles. "But because of that, I tore that family apart. For my own happiness. After, I couldn't live with myself knowing that. I had to make it right. So I became a cricket and I looked after Geppetto. Knowing I would probably never see you again, thinking it was for the best after what I had become."

"Oh my dear sweet cut-purse, what a pair we make. But we're together now and that's what matters."

He grinned at her before leaning in to meet her in a light kiss. "Are you going to keep calling me that? I haven't been a thief for most of my life now. It's not who I am anymore."

"It will always be a part of you. It's who you were before that has made you into who you are now. And if it wasn't for that sweet little thief, I never would have found the wonderful man he grew up to be. Now, enough of this. Let's eat before it gets too cold and before you have to leave for work."

Archie kissed Temnen and helped her off the counter before going to find drinks for the two of them. With breakfast and a glass orange juice in hand, the couple made their way to the dining room table to enjoy their morning together after so many years.


	7. Security

It was a quiet Saturday morning at Granny's while Temnen and Archie waited at the bar for Emma to drop Henry off. Yesterday Temnen offered to look after the boy, showing him as many different animal forms as he wanted. Emma had been hesitant to agree but reassurance from Archie and the insistent begging of her excited son had swayed her. The sound of the door opened turned the few heads in the dinner that morning as Emma ushered her son ahead of her through the door.

A bright smile lit up Henry's face when he saw her waiting for him. She grinned at him as she hurried forward. "Morning Archie. T! This is gonna be so cool. I have so many ideas, I had to make a list. And-"

"Slow down kid. Remember, breakfast first. We had a deal."

"We don't have time for breakfast Emma. We have so many animals and so little time."

Temnen chucked. "She's right Henry. Breakfast first. If there's one thing Rumpelstiltskin taught me growing up, it's that you always hold up your end of a deal. Besides, we have all the time in the world. It's not like this is the only time we'll get to hang out." Henry nodded and took the bills his mother handed out to him, making his way to a booth to eat like he agreed.

With a soft smile Archie stood up. "Well, I have to get to my office and get ready for my appointments. I take it you'll be passed out when I get home?"

"Yeah, I'll be in bed for the next few days. Just wrestle some protein and electrolytes into me every once in awhile and I'll be right as rain in no time."

"Alright. I'll see you tonight then if you're conscious." He places a light kiss against her lips. "Have a good day Emma. Have fun today Henry." He waved at the pair as he made his way to the door.

After a quick goodbye to Archie, Emma turned back to the woman in front of her. "What do he mean by passed out when he gets home?"

Temnen cast a glance at Henry and lowered her voice a bit. "All magic come with a price Emma, even mine. Every time I change into a different form, it takes energy. Too many forms and I'll be exhausted. Gold gave me a pair of enchanted earrings that will let me change all I want while I wear them, but once I take them out, I drop. All that lost energy catches up to me."

"Henry doesn't know.. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have watched that boy grow up and the older he got the less he let himself have fun. Everything became about the curse. He needs this. A day to be a kid again. To have fun without worrying about the consequences. It's my price to pay Emma, and I will gladly pay it for him to have this day."

The pair of women looked over at Henry as he went over the list in his hand, crossing some out and adding others. To let him have a fun day with no worries, either of them would have paid any price. Emma smiled and looked back at Temnen. If it wasn't for Archie and Henry telling her about this woman, she would have said no. Trusting a stranger to show off her magic to her son what was bit much, not to mention she was raised by Rumpelstiltskin. But Temnen wasn't a stranger to Henry and she definitely wasn't one to Archie. Still, Emma was concerned. "Are you sure everything will be fine? I mean I hardly know you so it's hard to have complete faith in a stranger with Henry.."

After a quick smile and a wave of her hand Temnen picked up the plate that Granny just placed at the bar for her. "Don't worry Emma. We'll be in the park where anyone can see us, and I would never hurt him, or betray Archie's faith in me. You're welcome to come check in on us whenever you can get away from the station. The more the merrier Emma."

Granny, who had been standing there listening spoke up to reassure the young mother. "I can go with them if you want. An extra pair of eye to make you feel better. Not to mention make myself feel better." She looked at Temnen with a stern face. "No offense but hardly anyone here knows much about you other then you shape-shift and that you're practically Gold's daughter, even if you are shacking up with Dr. Hopper."

"Are you sure Granny? I don't want to put you out at all."

"Never mind that Miss. Swan, Red will manage just fine here without me."

Temnen smiled warmly at the concerned women. "I have no problem if you would like Madam Lucas to come along. Like I said, the more the merrier."

"It would make both of us feel better."

"Welcome aboard then Madam Lucas, once we finish eating we'll be ready to go when you are. For now, I'll leave you two to talk." Temnen left the bar with a parting smile and went to eat with Henry, who was starting in on the plate of bacon, eggs and hash-browns what Ruby had just placed in front of him.


	8. Fun in the Park

"Okay Henry. What do you want to start with?"

The boy stood by the bench Granny sat on while Temnen stood back a bit to give herself room to change. No doubt Henry had a number of larger animals on that list of his. She would have to put a size limit on some of them as to not scare any passing townspeople that didn't know about her. Seeing a large dragon in the middle of the park could send the town into a panic.

"A dragon!" The boy exclaimed.

"A dragon?" Temnen laughed, "How did I know? Alright but it's not gonna be very big. No need to scare anyone passing by. We'll go with a smaller breed of eastern dragons. Still a dragon but not huge. Ready?"

Henry gave her an eager nod, and even granny seemed to be expecting something amazing. Temnen let loose a feral grin as she brought the dragon to the surface. The air around her body seemed to ripple and warp as she began stretching and changing. Arms and legs quickly shortened and grew claws, her body thinning into a long snake like body with a long tail to match, and her head warping into a long muzzle and sharp teeth, small spiral horns sprouting back from the top of her head, a trail of hair growing from her neck down along her spine. It only took a moment for everything to change, the scales were the last, they seemed to shimmer into place as they replaced her skin.

Bright blue and green eyes glowed faintly as her body began to float in the air lightly, catching the natural air currents with her temporary dragon magic. Temnen let out a small puff of smoke from her nostrils and slowly flew towards the awed boy. She rumbled low in her throat and crawled up Henry's leg, wrapping herself around him. Her back legs held on to his hip while her body crossed over his front, under his arm and across to his shoulders where her front legs clung to him. Her long neck arching forward so she could look at his face. Her tail hung down and lightly swung back and forth against his leg while she waited for him to speak.

"Wow, T, that is so cool!"

"I do have to say Miss Lorcan, that's pretty amazing."

Temnen unwound herself from an awestruck Henry and made her way over to Granny on the park bench, made a quick circle around her head then took a seat next to her. The air shimmered again as her form changed back to human.

"Thank you madam Lucas. The Eastern Dragons are one of my favorites, though I rarely get to use it. Magical creatures are always more difficult to find, much less change into. It's always a bit of a treat when i can use it."

Granny gave an agreeing nod and a small smile. "Well, it's a treat to see, thank you for that."

"Of course, it's always fun to show off a bit. Now. What's next Henry?"

He pulled his notes out of his pocket, frantically searching through his list of animals. "Oh man, i don't think anything can get better than that. I should have finished with the dragon."

Temnen and Granny shared a soft smile as Henry flipped pages. "Don't worry Henry, I've got plenty of magical creatures you can see, and even more non magical ones."

"Okay. Okay. Um, something easy. Oh! A dog. I've seen you as a cat, but not a dog."

"Got a breed in mind? Or do I get artistic freedom?"

"I wanna see what your favorite kinda of dog is."

Temnen laughed and scooted away from granny a bit to give herself room. In a moment a sleek dalmatian was sitting in her place, tail thumping against the wood bench. Blue and green eyes standing out against the white and black fur.

Granny rolled her eye and chuckled. "I suppose we should have seen that coming, you and that dog are about as inseparable as you are from his owner. Did you get this from from Pongo or did you have it before?"

"i bet she had it before, like, probably spent a day in a animal shelter while she's lived here and just collected all kinds of animals." Henry's excitement was palatable as he flipped through his list again, looking for the next animal to see. A quick change while he was ranting excitingly had the woman sitting on the bench once again. The boy was still going on about how she much have lived at a zoo and collected forms from there too, along with the circus and as a vet. With no sign of him slowing down, Temnen turned to Granny with a smile.

"Henry isn't too far off, I've been in this world a fairly long time. Mostly i just spent my time wondering and learning about the world. Once i understood it better i managed to get an ID and Social Security number, illegally, but i found jobs working with animals that didn't require a degree. Pet grooming, office work for veterinarians, and i even did work in a zoo for a while."

Henry cut his ranting short, shouting. "I knew it!"

"Worked Henry, not lived. I was a night guard, but i didn't live there."

"It's still really cool."

"What are you gonna do when the excitement of my magic ends and I'm just a boring shape-shifting lady?"

"I don't think he'll ever get bored of it." Granny grumbled.

"Me either."

"I won't! Next! A lion! No, a tiger! Both!"

Temnen stood up and made more room for herself in the park, ready be set through her paces, ready for any animal the boy would shout out. They spent hours in the park, changing form to form, picking favorite animals and never seen animals from this world and the other. Magical and non magical. Big and small. Feathers, fur and scales. They met Emma and Archie at the dinner for a short lunch before they two headed back to work, Henry hardly stopped talking long enough to finish his burger, then it was off to the beach for a round of aquatic animals.

As the sun went down Temnen walked Henry home for the evening, having already said goodnight to Granny after dinner. Mary Margaret was at home waiting as they walked in.

Setting her book down on the table, she stood with a smile and a short wave as the two walked into the apartment. "Did you have fun Henry?"

"So much fun. You should have come with, it was so awesome." He said with a yawn.

"I wish I could have, but I had school stuff to get ready, I'm still a teacher you know, maybe next time. Now, off to bed, you look exhausted. Emma is gonna be a bit late tonight, but you can tell us everything tomorrow at breakfast. I'm making blueberry pancakes."

A covered yawn and a tired nod was all they got as Henry dragged himself over to the stairs.

"Night Mary Margret, night T. Thanks for the super fun day. I'll see you in a few days when you feel better." He gave a halfhearted wave as he continued upstairs to bed.

Temnen stared at the spot Henry disappeared from at the top of the stairs, an amused yet baffled look on her face. "That sneaky little brat, he knew."

"Knew what?"

Temnen walked over to the table and leaned against it, across from where Mary Margaret stood. "Gold gave me some enchanted earrings so i could spend the day with Henry without getting rundown, but once i take them out i crash. So I'll be spending the next few days in bed resting getting my energy back up. He must have heard me telling Emma about it.. too smart for his own good.."

"He must have thought you needed this day as much as he did."

"Yeah.. he's a sweet kid."

"He is. Now, go home and get to bed. The faster you get to sleep the faster you can recover. I'll send over some good home cooking to help you back in your feet in no time."

With a deep sigh and light laugh, Temnen walked to the front door and waited, hand on the knob.

"Thank you Mary Margaret, but you really don't have to."

"Nonsense, you just gave Henry a wonderful day he needed, I want to do this for you and you won't stop me. I'll take it over to Archie's office for him to bring home. Now, go and get some sleep, you need it."

"Goodnight Mary Margaret, and thank you."

"Night Temnen, feel better."


	9. The Hunt

She ran as fast as 3 and a half legs could carry her. Through the bushes, over fallen trees, and across streams. She had no clue how long she'd been running but it felt like days. She didn't know if her leg was sprained or broken, but she knew if she didn't keep running the howling dogs behind her would catch up and it wouldn't matter, all of her would be broken.

She should have known, she should have seen them, smelled them at least! Rumors told of a valuable artifact locked away in the storeroom of a local lords home. It was easy pickings for her, so she rushed into it. If she wasn't so tired, wasn't in such a hurry, she would have seen the dogs lounging in the courtyard. Guard dogs that apparently doubled as foxing dogs. And to be truthful, she should have known better then to take the form of a fox to make her quick escape. But she was just so tired, she didn't even think, just changed and ran. The dogs followed. For miles they followed. Not letting up, not giving any ground and showing no signs of slowing. She was beginning to panic, she was exhausted, her human mind taking a back seat to the flight instincts of her fox mind. Run. That's all she thought of. Run. Find somewhere safe. Somewhere to hide. Somewhere. Anywhere. THERE!

A quick bolt to her left had her following a familiar scent, a safe scent, just beyond the trees. She could smell the fire and knew they weren't traveling at the moment. She would be there soon. And her quick change in direction slowed the dogs down just enough to give her time to hide. She let out a mental sigh as she burst through the bushes into the clearing, the wagon door was open.

The older couple sitting at the fire, turned at all her noise, shocked when the small red fox made a straight line from the trees right into their wagon. Their son was in for a real shock in a moment.

And shocked he was. Jiminy gave a startle yell as she darted passed his feet, crawling into the smallest nook she could find. He stared in shock as the little fox hid and panted as hard as it could. Thinking quick when he finally heard the braying of the dogs as they came through the trees, Jiminy shut the doors to the wagon, locking himself and the fox in, and the dogs out. He would let his parents deal with chasing them off. He could hear them barking and jumping at the wagon, no doubt they knew where their prey had gone, his mother and father trying to shoo them away from the wagon, lest something get broken. But Jiminy didn't care, he wasn't letting them near this scarred fox. It took him a moment to realize said fox had crawled out of hiding and was staring at him. Jiminy thanked his quick thinking once he did though, because the fox across from him stared at him with one blue eye and one green eye. He knew those eyes. He would never forget them. But his relief turned to worry in a heartbeat.

"Temnen? What happened, why are you running, why not just change back?"

With a slight huff, Temnen limped over to a bench that double as a bed, jumping up and making herself comfortable. She was careful with her left paw, sure that it was just sprained rather than broken thankfully. A good night's rest would heal it up just fine. She looked up at Jiminy as he sat on the bedding next to her, worry clearly in his eyes.

"You can't change back, can you?" She gave a quick shake of her head "Do you need to stay here and rest?" Temnen let out a barely audible squeak of confirmation, and curled up tighter into the bedding, closing her eyes and finally getting some much needed rest.


	10. Defence

The wind howled as Temnen and Archie crossed the street to Granny's Diner, both of them hunched over, trying to bury themselves in their coats for warmth. The diner was full, everyone wanting a nice hot meal to chase the cold away, without having to cook it themselves. They took a seat at the table farthest from the door, the only one open, dodging Ruby as she passed with an armload of plates.

"This winter seems worse the the last ones, maybe because it's the first non-cursed winter we've had." Archie spoke softly as he removed his coat. "It came in early and strong."

Temnen rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them up. "Well, with any luck, it'll end soon and spring will be just as strong. I could really go for some warmer weather right now, even if it means rain." She grumbled quietly under her breath. "I hate winter, I always feel so slow and tired. The urge to hibernate is so strong. I just wanna eat the world and sleep until it's over.."

Reaching over, Archie took her hands in his, warming them between his own. He smiled. "At least you have electricity now, I know you adore modern heaters."

"I really do." She sighed.

Ruby came by and placed their regular drinks down and asked what they wanted to eat. Archie was cut off by the loud opening of the front door. Belle ushered Henry in, both of them out of breath.

"We all need to stay inside, there's a bear, a big one. Emma and David are handling it, but they want everyone to stay put." Belle said, catching her breath.

Temnen stood up before anyone said anything, heading for the door. Archie quick to follow, trying to stop her before she could get too far. He caught her arm just outside door. Henry and Belle had followed, Belle calling to her to let the others handle the animal, Henry talking to himself about how cool it was going to be to see Temnen fight off a bear. Archie frowned, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Sweetheart please, let them handle it. This weather has you in no shape to shift right now, it'll drain you."

"Henry, go back inside with Belle." The shifter looked from the boy to Belle, receiving a quick nod as she tried to steer the boy back into the safety of the diner.

"But T, I wanna watch you get rid of the bear." Henry whined.

"Not this time kid," She looked over to Archie, placing a hand over his, still on her arm. "This bear is awake too soon, it should still be hibernating. Which means it's going to be hungry, tired, and confused. Which all makes for an angry bear." She looked back at the young boy. "I don't know what will happen, I don't know what Emma and David have already done. I can handle this without anyone getting hurt, but only if i don't have to worry about where you are and if you're safely out of the way of not. Angry bears are unpredictable. Please go back inside with Belle and stay there." He sighed and let himself be lead back inside. Temnen looked at Archie again. "I have to do this, you know I'm the best chance to get everyone out of this unharmed, the bear included."

"I know… I know. I just don't want you to get hurt. Who knows what could happen with how tired you've been recently."

"I'll be fine. I've got this Jiminy."

"Be careful please, for me?"

"Always for you." Temnen leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips before heading down the street where she could hear Emma and David yelling at the bear, no doubt trying to lure or scare it out of town.

This was probably a bad idea, Temnen though, winter always took its toll on her. Cutting her endurance in half. But she hadn't shifted in weeks, she had energy stored up.

She could do this.

The large black bear was angry. Pacing the street, huffing and growling at the Sheriff and her father. The added human in its sight seemed to agitate him even more and he stood up, letting out a loud roar, but holding his ground for the moment.

"Emma! Emma, stop. You need to stop, you're just pissing him off."

Emma shot her an exasperated look. "What am i supposed to do then? It's already trashed two dumpsters and a totaled a car. We need to get it out of here before it hurts someone."

"I'll handle this Emma, You and David just stand back and keep people away."

"What are you going to do?" David asked as he joined them from the other side of the road, eyes on the bear as it stood, still trying to intimidate them.

Temnen walked forward, rolling her shoulders. "Tell him to leave."

"..and if he won't listen?" Temnen looked back at them, then noticed Archie standing down the street, having followed her but still keeping a safe distance. She looked back at the pair of blondes, a fierce resolve on her face.

"Then I'll make him leave."

Temnen sprinted forward, shifting mid-stride. The large bear turned his full attention to her as she shifted into an black bear as well. With a fierce roar, she planted her feet angrily, yelling for him to back off and leave her territory. But she knew the area wasn't marked as hers, she never worried about animals coming into town being more than they could handle. Against her hope, the large black bear challenged her claim. He was tired, cold, and very hungry and his nose was telling him that there was food in the area. He wanted it and she would not stop him. He was just a bit larger than her but Temnen knew that he was probably weak from his winter hibernation. If it came to a fight, she had a very good chance. And it did. The large bear charged at her when she didn't back down, but she met his charge with her own.

The loud clash of claws and teeth was startling at first but quickly changed. The wild bear used his larger size to take the lead, pushing Temnen back as he followed through with his weight. The force of the blow stunned her for a moment. Just long enough for him to get his teeth to her shoulder. His huge paws dug their long claws into her side and neck, holding her down. She had enough sense through the pain to roll herself over, dislodging her opponent. As they paced around, mouths open and breathing heavy, sizing each other up for the next attack, Temnen knew she wouldn't win if she kept her own mind. She would need to let her bear take over, bring the instincts to the front and let the bears fight.

The other bear must have sensed the shift, because as soon as she let go, he charged again. He was met with a surprising amount of force. The force of a female bear, protecting her home and her family. This stranger, this MALE, thought he could take what was hers, but she would die before she let him.

A long struggle of teeth and claws meeting fur and meat in their fierce grapple came to an end when the Shifter stood up and let loose a extremely disorienting blow to the side of the bears head with her massive paw. He was quick to retreat after he cleared his head, off to lick his wounds and his pride, and search for food farther away in a less guarded place.

Temnen Followed after his a block of so to cement her claim and dedication, and to give herself a moment to regain her own mind. Slowly pushing the bear into the back of her mind as she limped back to Emma, David and Archie, she assessed her wounds. A slightly mauled shoulder, long claw marks down the side of her face, and enough puncture wounds all over she didn't bother to count them.

With one last step, she shifted back. The shift taking much longer this time. As the air shimmered around her the others could see the long gashes on her face slowly knit themselves back together. Becoming puckered red lines and dark black and blue bruising blossom across her face. The sclera of her eye a bright red from broken capillaries. The rest of her wounds no doubt also scared and bruised after her change, but covered by her wool peacoat. Archie caught her when she stumbled the last few steps, passing out.

"Is she going to be okay" Asked David, him and Emma looking concerned.

"She'll be fine, her body heals itself as much as it can when she changes back, but she was already so tired from this winder hitting so hard and taking its toll on her." The he sighed, shifting until he could lift the unconscious woman in his arms "She's been so tired recently, I knew she would end up like this if she went, but there's no stopping her once she makes up her mind. All i could do was be here to remind her to be careful and not over do it."

"Here, I'll take you guys home, David can clear things up here." Emma gestured to the patrol car on the other side of the street. Getting the door once they reached it, letting Archie slip into the back with Temnen. "The scars, they will heal right? I mean, she would probably be full of scars already if the didn't finish healing at some point."

Archie brushed a finger very lightly down the edge of the smallest scar, it was hot to the touch and already slightly less red than when she passed out. "Yes, the do heal completely, but it's going to take some time. Weeks probably." He looked up and caught Emma's gaze in her rearview mirror. "She must have had some broken bones too, otherwise they would be almost gone after she healed. The bones take more energy than outer wounds i guess. She never really let me see her after a fight, she was always too angry after. I don't know how it all works truthfully."

The Sheriff helped the pair into their home once they arrived, opening doors for them and helping Archie change Temnen out of her winter coat, slacks, shirt, and shoes, into a pair of warm pajamas. Her upper body was peppered with green and yellow bruises that looked days old, already almost healed.

"Is she always so reckless with her powers? Changing even when she knows she won't have the energy after?"

"I don't think it's recklessness Emma, she just- she has always pushed herself. She was young when Rumplestiltskin trained her to be able to shift more, faster and into more powerful creatures. Which means he pushed her to her breaking point, then even farther. That's how it was for her growing up, and she still does it. Pushing herself farther than she should." Archie gave Emma a tired smile, letting out a light chuckle. "We haven't had much time together really, but it's nerve racking knowing she won't think of her own safety before rushing into the thick of things."

"Do you think she'll change?"

"Yes, eventually. But the thing that makes her realize her own morality will be huge. It will shake her to the core. And i'm afraid for her. Afraid of what it will do to her, what she will do to herself to bring it about.."

He let out a deep sigh and with one last look as Temnen, asleep in bed, face bruised and scared, he ushered Emma out of the room and shut the door behind himself to let the healing woman rest in peace.


	11. Death

Archie hadn't come home last night. She thought that maybe he had ended up working later than he though and fell asleep in his office, but he still hadn't called before lunch and as Temnen stood in the doorway to that very office, she knew something was wrong. No one was here, but more than one person had been here this morning, searching his office, his files, his desk, everywhere. She needed to speak to Emma.

Temnen's trip to the station proved useless though, neither Emma or David were there. On her way to Granny's she made a call to Emma's cell, the woman didn't pick up however.

Temnen snapped her phone shut in anger. "dammit Emma, where are you?."

"Saw her and the Charming's head to Gold's a few mins ago, didn't look too happy either."

She looked up from her phone in hand to find herself across the street at Granny's already, and a group of dwarves leaving after their lunch. "they went to see Rumple? All of them?"

"sure did sister," Leroy said as he shoved his hat back on his head. "probably still there if you're quick. Come on boys."

She watched the dwarves leave before leaving herself, heading straight for her place of work, Rumple's shop. When she came to the front of the shop no one what inside. They must be back in the office. And if they were all back there, that meant something was going on. So Temnen did what she's always done, and snuck in. Ever so quietly and quickly the small mouse snuck through the hole in the foundation, the one she never told Gold about, for just this reason. As she shifted back once she was inside, she could hear them talking in the back room.

Walking into the back room, Temnen froze in the doorway. Emma was holding a Dreamcatcher, and it was glowing with the image of Archie's office. Everyone was focused as they watched the scene play out. Archie opened the door for Regina, turned his back on her to retrieve her file, and was attacked once he turned back around.

Temnen dropped her phone as her mind started to fog over, catching everyone's attention. Her entire body was tight, muscles tense, ready to fight. She could feel the fangs slowly growing in her mouth, the claws replacing finger nails. The world tilted as her senses changed, everything becoming much more crisp and clear. Though it all should just just make out the voices of the others.

"Temnen, sweetheart, calm down, it's going to be okay. We'll all figure this out."

"I don't think she can hear you Belle. She losing it.."

"Whats happening to her, Gold?"

"Well Miss. Swan, you are about to witness the main reason i didn't do this. I know what she capable of, and hurting Dr. Hopper is the quickest way to lose your life when it comes to her."

"She's going to go after Regina.."

"That she is, now if you'll excuse me. Belle, get behind me. Now."

Temnen's focus snapped to, as Emma and David stepped forward with hands on their weapons.

"Temnen, you need to calm down. Let us handle this. We will find Regina-"

As her body began to shudder and pull at itself, Temnen growled out through a mouth full of fanged teeth, just before she shifted. "There won't be anything left to find once i'm done with her. I'm going to rip her throat out then eat her." And with her change, Temnen let go of her mind, letting the Chimera takeover.


End file.
