Consequences to Being a White Knight

Chapter Two

After Rogers drove with Eloise from the hospital and walked her into the apartment their precinct used for newly found rescues, battered women, and protected witnesses in order to make sure she was settled and comfortable with being left alone, he left again and drove to his own apartment in hope of getting sleep in the hours left before he was required to be back at work in the morning. However, his mind was still unsettled even though he finally found the missing girl whose disappearance kept him awake most nights for the last couple of years. His sleeplessness now was for reasons unknown to him.

When morning came again and the detective awoke at the same time he always did, about an hour earlier than when he really needed to so he could get to work on time, he once again gave up trying to sleep, made himself some coffee to help him wake up enough to function better than he would without the stimulant, then finally left and arrived at the precinct by seven like usual, despite having told his partner that he might be late the night before. He turned off his car's ignition, but he sat in the driver's seat for several minutes in silence while he thought about having to confront Weaver again, as well as about Tilly, and Eloise too.

At last, he got out of his car and finally walked inside the precinct to face whatever came his way. What he didn't expect was to walk in as all of his fellow cops and detectives, who normally didn't show too high of an opinion of him, immediately began to clap and applaud him for solving the case that had been cold for such a long time by saving the missing girl.

"Okay… okay… okay…" he uttered upon feeling uncomfortable by the praise they were offering him despite the apprehensive smile he showed for their benefit. "That's… that's enough."

When Weaver arrived at the station a few minutes behind his partner, he had every intention of doing as he promised Tilly the night before he would. He intended to apologize to Rogers again and to begin making up for his mistakes. However, he walked inside and upon seeing and hearing the rest of the men they worked with congratulating the rookie detective, his vindictive and darker side suddenly took over again when they reminded him Rogers was being applauded for something about to cause them all chaos and probable harm.

"Congratulations, Detective," the older man coldly stated to his partner while looking directly at him, when he walked over to Rogers close enough so his words remained between them. "You closed your case. But you have no idea what you just blew wide open."

Rogers glared after him when Weaver then walked away, and sat down on the top of his desk as he let out a sigh in frustration until he raised his head again to face Desk Sergeant Ryce when the officer clasped his shoulder while he snidely asked, "How's it feel to be a hero, pal?"

He momentarily glanced away from the man as he answered, "I was just doing my job."

"Well… tell that to her," Ryce replied when he turned his head towards the main doors into the bullpen and saw the young rescue enter with a cake in her hands, as did Rogers.

"Eloise?" he immediately expressed in surprise upon seeing her, then stood back on his feet again and walked over to greet her. "Hi. Is everything all right?"

She met up with him, then looked into his eyes after glancing down at the cake while she smiled and responded, "Yeah, I just wanted to bring you this… as a thank you. I baked it myself."

Rogers smiled sincerely at her too as he answered, "That's very kind of you. Um… how are you? You adjusting okay?"

"Honestly, I'm having trouble sleeping," the villainess, whose real name was Gothel replied as he set the cake down on his desk behind him, then turned back to her.

"Well, that's understandable," the handsome detective responded to her out of understanding. "You've been plunged into a strange new world. Have you gone to see that therapist yet?"

Eloise lowered her eyes to her side and uneasily answered, "I tried."

He then pulled one of his cards from his pants back pocket and held it out for her to take from him while he spoke again in sincerity saying, "Here's my number. If it will make you feel any better, you can call me any time."

"You really are my white knight, aren't you?" she asked as she smiled up at him again.

"Mm," was the only reply he could offer her again, except a smile.

The woman before him looked at him once more after she started to turn away from him to leave while she continued, "Thank you, Detective. Bye."

Rogers watched her walk away once he said back, "Bye."

Once she was gone, he left the bullpen to head to the break room in search of paper plates and plastic utensils so he could serve the cake to the other cops, as well as to cut a piece for himself. When he returned to his desk, he had barely sat down again when Roni entered the station and looked around the room for Weaver until she saw Rogers at his desk cutting into the cake, then walked over to stand in front of him.

"Oh… hey, Rogers," she spoke out to him as she did so. "I'm looking for Weaver. Is he around?"

"Weaver?" he questioned brusquely, as he stopped cutting into the cake to focus his attention on his friend. "He's probably out being a shady, treacherous bastard somewhere."

Regina looked down at him with sympathy upon sensing the frustration in his words, then she delicately responded, "Oh, that's right. I heard how it all went down with Eloise. Where is she now?"

Rogers briefly glanced away from her until he looked back again as he answered, "She's uh… at a transitional home. Um… I've promised to keep a watchful eye on her."

"Oh?" the former Queen and Mayor uttered as she smiled down at him, attempting not to sound condescending or concerned by his kindness and attention he was unwittingly showing the villainess about to become a real threat to all of them. "Well, that's… that's kind of you."

"From the sounds of it, she's not the only one who needs help," Roni continued once she changed the focus of their conversation to the young woman only she among them knew was really her friend's daughter and showed true worry for them both. "Henry told me about how Weaver used that girl, Tilly."

He looked up again at the bar owner while he crossly replied, "Seems to me like she wanted to be a pawn."

Regina understood his distrust, having dealt with the Dark One's games and deceptions for years as well, then genuinely wanting to help Rogers, she responded, "You know, people only let themselves be used when they don't have any other option. So maybe you can give her one."

"Okay," the detective then answered after pondering her words for a few moments and nodded his head in understanding, then smiled. "I'll reach out to her."

"You're a good cop, Rogers," she replied to him again with her own smile, then started to turn around to leave until she finally noticed the cake when he leaned forward again to continue cutting himself a slice. "Hey, what's this?"

He stopped again and dropped his hand against the desk, unaware of the possible danger the gift from the nymph might have held for him as he responded, "It's a thank you from Eloise."

However, Roni was aware of it and so she mumbled, "Oh."

"What the hell was that for?" he then asked her out of shock and in anger once she unexpectedly reached down to pick up the cake to dump it into the wastebasket on the floor beside his desk out of concern for him.

"Too much sugar will kill ya," Regina answered him lightheartedly in order to mask her worry and then walked out of the precinct to return to her bar.

Once she was gone, Rogers looked down into the trash can again, then finally stood and picked it up so he could go back into the break room to clean the basket out. He thought over Roni's words again, as well as the contempt his partner kept showing towards him in regards to all he's done to rescue Eloise. However, once he finished, he finally just left the station to go out looking for Tilly in hope he could find her so he could apologize to her for speaking to her so harshly the night before. He decided he would find and settle things between him and Weaver later.

Meanwhile…

Weaver walked into his office within the precinct and prepared himself to speak with Victoria Belfrey, after giving those under his command orders to make sure she was left alone through the night so she could stew in either denial or in her acknowledgement of the mess she created by keeping Gothel prisoner ever since the curse had fallen over them. However, before he could make his way to the cells where she was currently being detained, his phone rang and the senior detective left the station instead when he was called away on a new case. He thought to call his partner, then decided against it to start working the case on his own figuring he would have the chance to try to apologize to Rogers again later.