RECAP: 'Once Upon A Time' Spins Fairy Tale Gold

Episode four of ABC's fairy tale drama Once Upon a Time opens in the Enchanted Forest, with Cinderella's step sisters sauntering off to the ball, leaving her home alone to sweep in sadness. Cinderella (Jessy Schram) isn't alone for long before she gets a visit by – you guessed it – her fairy godmother, who promises to magically change her life.

All of Cinderella's dreams appear to be a wand wave away when – POOF! – fairy grandma is killed by Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle). Despite having just witnessed the murder of her beloved granny, Cinderella is still so keen on attending the ball that she strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, clearly a trustworthy business partner.
Rumps promises to make all of Cinderella's dreams come true in exchange for “something precious,” which she will have later in her fancy, new life. Without reading the fine print, Cinderella signs on the line and is transformed into a ball-gowned beauty with her very own pair of glass slippers.

Enter Prince Thomas, who falls head over heels for the new Cinderella. They get married, Cinderella believes she finally has the perfect life until good old Rumps crashes her reception to remind her of their agreement, which won’t be settled, he tells her, till the baby growing inside her belongs securely it to him. Backtracking on the deal, Cinderella decides to flee. When Thomas walks in on her packing up her things, she comes clean about their meet-cute story. Thomas seems unfazed. “Magic may have brought us together but it didn't create this love,” he tells her.

With the help of Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), the couple hatches a plan to get Cinderella out of the deal. After lying to Rumps that she is pregnant with twins, Cinderella proposes a new contract: she will give up both of her babies if he will fix all the problems in Thomas' kingdom (poverty, bad soil, etc.). Rumps agrees to the new terms and signs the contract with Cinderella's red quill pen, but it isn't any ordinary quill. The enchanted quill magically imprisons poor Rumps, who reminds Cinderella that all magic comes with a price – in this case, making Thomas disappear. Rumps tells Cinderella that she will surrender her child to him, “in this world or the next!”

Next scene opens in Storybrooke, Maine: Cinderella is now Ashley Boyd, a pregnant teenager living a life of drugdery. At age 19, Ashley is down on her life and feels incapable of being a mother until she meets Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison). Recognizing herself in Ashley, Emma tells her if she is unhappy she needs to take matters into her own hands and change her life. “There are no fairy godmothers in this world,” she tells Ashley. Inspired by Emma's words, Ashley breaks into the pawn shop of Mr. Gold, who catches her in the act. With the help of a few squirts of mace, Ashley fells Mr. Gold and runs away with the loot.

Determined to get back his possession, Gold asks Emma to track down Ashley. While searching for her, Emma discovers Ashley had signed a contract to give up her baby to Gold in exchange for a large sum of money. Having decided to keep her baby, Ashley has stolen the contract and fled town. Emma and Gold both find her in labor at the hospital. Gold agrees to let Ashley keep the baby once Emma agrees to do him an unnamed favor sometime in the future. Emma decides to stay in Storeybrooke and takes Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) up on his offer of a job as a deputy.

Once Upon a Time returns November 27 with a new episode exploring the aspirations of Jiminy Cricket and a mysterious sinkhole in Storeybrooke.

Watch the teaser here: