Once Upon A Time: The Devil's New Road, Part One
By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki
(Picking up the days after Cora's demise, Emma has to come to terms with what her mother did and the role Mr. Gold played in it. Added to that, she has to deal with having Neal in town, her progressing pregnancy and Baelfire's extreme reluctance to accept her relationship with his father.)
Mr. Gold pulled up to the cemetery, putting the car into park before turning off the engine. He looked over to the passenger seat at the solitary rose he had brought along with him. He was still reeling from Cora's admission that she had really loved him. He knew the words were true from the tears that filled her eyes as she lifted the dagger to stab him.
It almost looked like she would when Regina thrust her heart back into her body, telling him that Snow White had accomplished everything she had set out to do. She had the want to kill Cora, he had simply given her good reason to. The destruction of her entire family and everyone else she loved was assured if Cora had become The Dark One. He knew she wouldn't stand for that, no matter the price.
Once the task was complete, she had instantly regretted it. He had expected that too, recalling how she had collapsed into a sobbing mess before Charming and Neal had ushered out of the shop. A short while after that, Emma arrived and he told her to just go home. He explained he was finebut her mother needed her, giving her no chance to argue.
" But Gold, what happened? Where's my mother? " Emma stared at him.
" She went home, Emmaand I suggest you do too, " He said. " I'm fine but she's not. "
Emma frowned, " What's that supposed to mean? "
" You'll find out, " He lifted his hand and point to the door. " Go. "
" Gold... " Emma started.
" I SAID GO! " He raised his voice and she startled. She shook her head, letting out a growl of frustration and left. He closed his eyes when he heard the front door to the shop slam shut, fairly certain he would never see her again.
Baelfire had come in but didn't stay long, saying he needed time to think. Mr. Gold offered him a guest room at his housebut Baelfire declined, saying he could find his own place to stay. He ended up at Granny's, along with Neal. It looked like Emma's former lover would be staying for a while, probably in a bid to connect with Henry. He hoped he had a chance to reconnect with his own sonbut the chances were slim.
None of that concerned him at that particular moment though. His main objective was to pay his respects to Cora. She had been a formidable opponent and a brilliant student. He could only wonder what would have happened if they had taken the final step and consummated their relationship.
She had promised she would let him have her but only after she had married Prince Henry. That way, any child born from their tryst would be mistaken as the prince's. Only they would have known the secret, just as they were the only ones who knew of their deal. Cora couldn't resist the idea of being queen though so ripped out her own heart, making it easy for her to leave him instead of fulfill their deal.
Without her judgments being clouded by love, she was able to decide things with what he could only assume she considered a clear head. That in itself had a price, leaving her only daughter feeling like she could never please her mother. Without a heart, Regina wasn't much more than a pawn in her ongoing bid to rule the land. It was a truth as cold and heartless as Cora had been until Regina thrust her heart back into her body.
He reached for the door handle, opening the door before reaching for his cane and the rose. He then turned in the seat, making sure he has good footing on the wet leaves that covered the ground before he slowly stood up. The weather was dampand his bad leg was bothering him. In spite of everything he had been through, the hindrance lingered and made him wonder if it always would.
He carefully stepped away from the car, closing the door behind him as his mind jumped to Emma again. He knew he would have a lot of explaining to do if she ever became ready to speak to him again. He was fairly certain that Charming had already told her what had happened or at least what he thought happened. Either way, he was very sure it was heavily laced with Charming's opinions and not many facts.
He also wondered if Charming had ruined the surprise he had in store for Emma. He was still under the impression he had thrown Emma aside for Belle and had some diabolical plan to steal the twins from her somehow. He hoped she would set her father straight though he was certain it wouldn't do much to quell his fears. That all depended on her feelings for him after what had happened.
He recalled how she had been acting after he had gotten off the phone with Belle. Though she had held his hand and sat with him when it looked like he would die, he could sense she was mentally distant. He had put a lot of thought into the things he wanted to say to Belle and knew the tenderness of the words had probably planted some seeds of doubt in Emma's mind. He could tell it had undone some of the groundwork he had accomplished in Manhattan.
It had taken so long to think of what he wanted to say to Belle, the urgency of his situation finally forcing them to the top. At the time, it looked like he wasn't going to live so the words had to be said. He had put them off for far too longand he was still feeling guilty for dragging it out. If he had only been truthful to begin with, he knew Belle would have never been attacked by Hook or lost her memory.
He walked slowly to the Mills' mausoleum, finding the doors were cracked open. He closed his eyes, sensing Regina was there as well. It wasn't a surprise. In fact, he had expected it. He had a few things he wanted to say to her and hoped her mind would be open enough to hear them. Even if it weren't, he still would say what he needed to say.
He opened his eyes, climbing the steps gingerly before passing through the doors. The large stone casket that held her father's remains was pushed aside, giving him access to the chambers below. He had always known of the sanctuary but dared not to breech it. If he had while Regina still believed he was cursed, it would have ruined the charade.
The staircase was narrow and gave him many places to catch himself in case he fell as he walked down the steps. He reached the bottom, navigating his way to an inner room where he found Regina. She stood next to her mother's coffin, her eyes wet with tears. She wore a very demure black dress, suitable for mourning yet keeping with her sense of fashion.
" Black always was your color, " Mr. Gold said quietly as he walked towards her.
Regina snapped her head up and gasped. She then frowned, " I'm here to bury my mother so if you've come to gloat... "
" I came... To pay my respects, " He cut her off and lifted the rose up so she could see it. Regina watched as he stepped up and placed the rose gently on the stone surface of the casket. " We had our differences but Cora will always have a place in my heart. "
Regina scoffed, " You killed her to save your own life... And the lives of those pathetic Charmings. "
" Sadly, desperate times call for desperate measures, " Mr. Gold looked at her. He knew by the look on her face she wanted to say something more, like about Emma and the childrenbut she couldn't. He had made sure she couldn't speak of them ever without suffering.
" Like getting Mary-Margret to trick me into killing my own mother two days ago? " Regina asked. " You may be able to hide behind your dagger but she can't... She's going to die for what she did. "
" Come on, " Mr. Gold moved closer to Regina. " We both know that killing her will cost you the thing you want most... Henry. "
Regina looked away as he continued, " Why don't you just give up this obsession with vengeance? You know it can never make you happy. "
" Yes it will, " Regina replied without looking at him.
" You had a whole curse worth of vengeance, " Mr. Gold reminded her. " And what did it get you? A gaping hole in your heart and nothing to fill it. "
Regina turned her face to him, " That was your curse. "
" Which you cast, " Mr. Gold said. " Still haven't learned your lesson, have you? "
Regina looked shocked, " What lesson? "
" The same one your mother learned a long time ago, " He nodded towards Cora's coffin. " You can't have everything. "
Anger crept across Regina's face as he continued, " She wanted power... Ripped out her own heart to get it and lost everything she could have had with you and your father. You want vengeance? Then Henry's the price you'll pay. "
He leaned a little closer before he whispered, " Time to cut your losses. "
Regina smirked coldly as she shook her head, " Never. I WILL have my sonand I WILL have my vengeance. I will find a way to have everything... Just like you have. "
Mr. Gold scoffed, " You think I have everything, dearie? "
Regina frowned, " You know I can't elaborate. You made sure of that. "
" Only to protect what is mine, " Mr. Gold replied. " I couldn't have you telling my secrets in the street and putting innocent lives in danger. "
Regina smirked, " It won't be long until those secrets will come to light on their own... And when they do, we'll see how much this town still loves your precious Miss Swan when they find she's carrying your... "
" You leave her out of this, " Mr. Gold said firmly as Regina started to cough and grasp at her throat. He waited for it to subside before adding, " I believe you said your problem at this moment was with her mother. "
" Not for much longer, " Regina sneered.
Mr. Gold stared into her eyes, knowing the words she spoke were true. Without a second thought, he knew what he had to do...
Emma sat at the bar, looking first at Mary-Margret then upstairs. The boy was taking a shower before breakfast. She startled when David set a large cereal bowl down in front of her, drawing her attention to him. She furrowed her brow, " I thought we were having bacon and eggs for breakfast before you left for work. "
David set a box of fruit loops on the counter next to the bowl, " Yeahbut you're eating for three. I figured you would want something else besides. You need to keep your strength up. "
" Oh, " Emma nodded. She picked up the box and poured some cereal into the bowl as David went to the fridge to get some milk. " What are we going to tell Henry? It's been two days and she hasn't been out of bed except to use the bathroom. "
David looked towards Mary-Margret and frowned, " I don't know. "
" Maybe we shouldn't, " Emma muttered as David poured the milk. " He's been through enough already. "
David set the carton down and sighed, " I think that's a good idea. "
They fell silent, the phone ringing a few moments later. David furrowed his brow before picking it up, " Hello? Oh yes... She's right here. "
Emma took the phone when David offered it to her, putting it to her ear. " Hello? "
" Miss Swan? " The woman on the line said.
" This is she, " Emma replied.
" This is Nurse Amanda from Doc's office, " The woman said. " I'm calling to remind you of your four month check-up tomorrow afternoon. "
Emma hung her head. She had completely forgotten about the appointment. " Oh yeah... Can you remind me what time it's at? "
" Three o'clock, " The nurse replied. " Please wear something loose fitting since Doc will be doing a sonogram. If we're lucky, we'll be able to see what you're having. "
" Great, " Emma said. She looked at Mary-Margret, wondering if such news would do anything to cheer her up. She was starting to worry about her and had been since finding out what had happened.
" See you then, Miss Swan, " The nurse said. " Bye now. "
" Bye, " Emma said and hung up. She handed the phone back to David. She exhaled, " It was Doc's nurse. I have an appointment tomorrow at three. She said we might find out what the twins are. "
" Oh, " David said flatly. " You're not telling Gold, are you? When you find out I mean. "
Emma frowned, " He'll want to know. He needs to know. He's their father and he said... "
" Yeah but... " David looked towards Mary-Margret then back at Emma. He leaned in close and whispered, " He encouraged your mother to kill Cora. He gave her the tools to do it. Are you still going to stand by him after that? "
" Mary-Margret wanted her dead, " Emma whispered back. " She would have found a way without Gold. "
" She would have found a better way WITHOUT him, " David replied. " Maybe she wouldn't have killed her. "
Emma narrowed her eyes but didn't get a chance to say anything because she heard Henry on the stairs. " Who was on the phone? " He asked as he came to the bar.
" Doc's office, " Emma replied. " I have an appointment tomorrow. If we're lucky, we'll get to see what the babies are. "
Henry frowned and Emma wished she hadn't said anything. Henry had been excited to be a big brother but now he seemed to feel much differently since finding out the babies were fathered by Mr. Gold. He forced a smile, " Great. "
Emma motioned to David, " Why don't you eat some breakfast? Grandpa's fixing eggs and bacon. "
" I'll just take some cereal if that's okay, " Henry moved to take a seat at the bar.
" Okay, " David nodded and got Henry's favorite cereal out of the cabinet. He grabbed a bowl and set it in front of Henry before filling it. He then poured the milk and set it down. " I'll be right back. "
David put together a tray of food for Mary-Margret before carrying it to her. Emma watched as her mother lay completely still, not even looking at him. He gently prodded her before she finally lifted her hand and waved him off, David frowning. He walked out of the bedroom and Emma furrowed her brow. " Anything? "
" Won't eat a bite, " David replied as he walked back around the bar and put the tray down. Ithad been the same the past two days and Emma knewMary-Margret was getting into dangerous territory. If she continued not eating, she would become sick.
Henry looked towards the bedroom, " What's wrong with her? "
Emma took a breath, unsure if she should say anything. Henry knew Cora was dead but nothing else. " Nothing, " She said. " She's just a little... Sick. "
David walked up next to her and looked like he was going to say something. She glanced at him, seeing he was unsure of what to add. Henry looked at him then back at her, " You guys are lying to me... Aren't you? "
" No, " Emma said gently. " No one's lying. "
Henry looked her straight in the face, " You are. You lied to me about the babies and about Mr. Gold... And just like you lied to me about my dad. "
" Henry, " Emma reached out and touched his right shoulder. She felt her heart sink when he pulled away from her, giving her a hurt look. She turned to look at David. He went to the other side of the kitchen but had been watching them. She frowned, deciding they had to stop lying and tell the truth.
" He's right, " Emma said. " We're lying. "
David walked back to the bar, shaking his head. " Emma, " He said, looking scared.
" He deserves to know, " Emma said and David sighed, leaning heavily on the counter as he prepared himself for her words. She then turned back to Henry. He looked at her anxiously, rubbing his hands on his jeans. It was something Neal used to do when he was nervous and Emma wagered he probably still did.
" Here's the thing, Henry. Cora's death... Mary-Margret was partially responsible... " Emma looked at David, knowing he would be relieved she pinned some of the blame on Mr. Gold though she hadn't said his name outright. She stammered as she continued, " For it and that's why she's so upset. "
" No, " Henry said. He shook his head, " Sh-Sh-She couldn't... "
There was a knock at the door, David furrowing his brow. Emma turned back to Henry, " She was trying to protect us. "
" But she's Snow White, " Henry said. " She wouldn't hurt anybody. "
Emma inhaled deeply, trying to figure out a better way to explain. She heard David open the door before he shouted, " Get out! "
She turned to face the door to see Mr. Gold was standing there, her heart leaping at the sight of him. She was surprised she hadn't sensed him coming then realized her apprehension over telling the truth to Henry had probably distracted her from feeling his approach. Mr. Gold looked unaffected by David's tone as he said, " I think you're gonna want to hear what I have to say. "
David let go of the door, it swinging open a little more as Mr. Gold looked towards Mary-Margret. He frowned, " For her sake. "
Emma got up and walked to the door, Henry following her. Seeing him made her feel cautiously happy. She hadn't seen him since he had demanded her to leave his shop two days prior. " What are you talking about? "
Mr. Gold looked at her, " Regina... She's planning to strike back. "
Emma reached for Henry, pulling him close as Mr. Gold finished, " Against your mother. "
" What is she going to do to her? " Henry stepped forward. Emma pulled him back, not wanting him to get too far out of her reach. She didn't want to give Henry a chance to lash out at Mr. Gold like he had in Manhattan.
Mr. Gold looked at Henry, " She didn't say. "
" No, " David said lowly. " You just don't get to come in here and drop a bomb like that. You're going to figure this out and you're going to help us. "
" And why should I? " Mr. Gold asked and pursed his lips. Emma felt her heart sink, feeling like the answer should have been obvious. He had made her feel like he cared about her and she had hoped it included her family as well.
" Because, aside from us being family now because of what you did to Emma, Mary-Margret saved your life, " David said firmly. His words were practically what Emma wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to.
Emma held Henry closer. She hadn't got the chance to tell David how things had changed between them, feeling like it wasn't exactly the right time. David continued as Mr. Gold looked towards Mary-Margret again, " Now, you owe her a debt... And you always pay your debts, don't you? You're going to help us stop Regina. "
Mr. Gold looked at Emma, ~How do you feel about this, darling? ~
Emma swallowed. She still had some lingering fears about his true feelings for her. She took a deep breath, knowing her voice would be shaking if she were really speaking the words. ~If you meant anything you said to me in New York... About me and the babies...~
~I did, ~ He cut her off. He gave her a bit of a hurt look, like the thin layer of doubt in the unfinished question stung. ~I meant every word. ~
~Then you know what to do, ~ Emma said.
He nodded, ~I do. I'm sorry I gave you the impression I didn't. ~
Emma was stunned by Mr. Gold's apology. ~Gold... ~
" So? " David said, breaking their connection.
Mr. Gold nodded, " I do indeed owe Snow for saving my life. We will find out what Regina is planning and stop her. Once we do it, that debt will be cleared, correct? "
David frowned, " Yeah. That one will. We have a few others that we need to talk about but they can wait. "
Mr. Gold looked at Mary-Margret again, " Then I suppose we had better get to work. "
" Finally, we agree, " David replied. Emma watched as David reached for his holster before he slipped into it. He then got his jacket. Mr. Gold stepped aside as he headed for the door.
He paused on the threshold then turned to face Emma, his eyes going to the bedroom. " Keep an eye on your mother... And get her to eat something. "
" I can't guarantee anything but I'll try, " Emma said. She watched David leave, looking down at Henry once David was gone. " You want to finish breakfast, kid? "
Henry frowned, " I'm not hungry anymore. I think I'll just go upstairs and read the story book. "
Emma blinked, " Uh, okay. If you say so. "
Henry pulled away and took off up the stairs...