"Don't listen to them," Red said, waving a hand. "Besides, they've got no reason to say anything anymore. They're back where they want to be."

"Still." Tina shrugged, looking away. "It seems... wrong to leave now. I'll think about it though, okay? I can probably find you guys if I change my mind."

"You have the chance now, though," Red pointed out. "I mean, what's stopping you from coming with me now? We could go find Rachel and keep going back to the new town."

"We don't know where Rachel is, it could take a while to find her," Tina pointed out, though it was a weak excuse at best. he remembered enough now to know that she'd spent a few weeks just wandering.

Then she sighed. "I don't want to just leave," she said quietly. "If I decide to leave, I'm at least going to tell Gold."

"Why?" Red asked. "I'm trying to understand, I really am!" she hurried to add. "But I mean... He's Rumplestiltskin. So why?"

"That doesn't mean he's a bad person!" Tina huffed, sliding down to the ground. "I mean, I get that you all are kind of pissed at him, and he's done some morally questionable things, but he's not a bad guy. He's fun and he has a sense of humor and he can be very nice."

"'Morally questionable'?" Red repeated. "Tina, he's the one who created the curse in the first place. He's ruined so many lives that I can't even count them all. I think that's a lot more than just 'morally questionable.'"

Tina sighed. "I don't expect you to understand," she said quietly, shifting her weight. "But I'm not going to just up and leave, okay?"

That was about the point that Gold appeared. He'd caught most of the conversation, and he was Not Pleased.

"You heard her," he said to Red. "Get lost, before I have to do something... unpleasant." He sneered at her. "I think you know just how unpleasant I can be."

Tina waited until Red had retreated to look at him.

"I was handling it," she said quietly, clearly trying not to pick a fight. "You didn't have to step in, although I'll admit I'm curious to know how long you were listening."

"You shouldn't have to handle it when I can do it for you," Gold replied. "She had no business trying to take you away, and no right to be on my lands. I should have taken care of that."

"Gold, just because you can doesn't mean you should," Tina pointed out, heading inside again. "If you take care of everything like that for me, you may as well just lock me in the tower."

"I did, once upon a time," Gold said, glancing at her. "I know you used to sneak out, but you were safe in the tower with Rapunzel."

"Hey, you're the one that said you didn't lock me in the tower, just Rapunzel," Tina pointed out. "And I'm safe out here too."

"And safer still if you would let me take care of you," Gold retorted. "I look after what's mine."

Tina frowned at him, wavering between the need to be independent and a secret little flush at being considered his. Although still not quite what she wanted, but still.

"I don't need to be taken care of," she pointed out quietly. "I am capable of fending for myself."

"You shouldn't have to," Gold said. "And I will look after what is mine." He looked at her.

Tina turned pink at that and looked away, hurrying inside. Because she wasn't quite sure what to do with that bit of information now.

~*~

It had taken Cora about a week to figure out what was going on, and then she decided she wanted to eliminate any potential threats. This time around she wasn't going to be ignored and cast away so easily.

But first she wanted a new apprentice. Her daughter had turned out wonderfully, but the girl didn't seem to want her around anymore, and that was just a shame. So she'd have to find someone else.

That someone else turned out to be Rachel, and Cora popped herself over to the ship while Hook was on shore for a bit.

Rachel had stayed behind on the ship this time. She still felt a bit odd walking around in town, so she was more than willing to stay behind this one time. It was kind of relaxing, just being on the ship while all was quiet.

She didn't even notice Cora there until she was hit by a spell from behind that knocked her out.

Cora magicked the two back to her new base of operations, which consisted of a small-ish series of underground passageways and the remains of a castle. Amazing how many castles had studded the country, and since no one was using it, she'd taken it and fitted it for her own purposes.

She left Rachel in a fairly large room with a bed and some other comforts. She wanted her student to be comfortable, after all; Cora wasn't the bad one here.

Rachel groaned slightly when she woke up again. She ached all over and her head was throbbing. When she opened her eyes, though, she jumped into full alertness. She was not on the Jolly Rodger anymore, and she had no idea where she was. That was bad.

"Ah, you're awake," Cora said with a smile, walking over to her. "I hope you're feeling alright." She clasped her hands in front of her, smiling down at Rachel with all the matronliness she could muster.

Rachel scrambled backwards on the bed, away from her. There was something about the woman she just didn't like.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Where did you take me? What is this place?"

"My name is Cora," she said with a patient smile. "And this is my home now. I brought you here so I could teach you."

Cora? Rachel had heard that name before, but she couldn't remember where.

"What do you mean, 'teach me'?" she asked.