Disclaimer: I own neither the characters nor the rights to Once Upon a Time.

Chapter Seven - Stakeout

Two months later

The banana yellow VW was tucked in a shadowy corner of the Storybrooke hospital parking lot. It was a slow night, no car accidents or gunshot victims; then again this was Storybrooke, not downtown Boston or New York. Emma kept her eyes peeled, scouting for anything unusual or out of the ordinary, although just what constituted as "ordinary" the sheriff didn't know anymore. Munching on a granola bar and sitting cross-legged in the front seat Emma peered through her new Bushnell binoculars (a gadget she treated herself to thanks to the department's new budget raise). The high tech device went for a hefty price, but the additional features made up for that. The Bushnell Fusion Rangefinder 3000 boasted 10 x magnification, a 16 yard laser, fully multi-coated optics; it was rainproof and fogproof; and the coup de grâce: a 21.1 megapixel digital camera. It was the James Bond of binoculars. If Emma was honest with herself she didn't need all of those extra features, but still, it was cool. Naturally, Regina would blow a fuse if she found out, so Emma kept a damper on her excitement.

After scanning the hospital entrance for the dozenth time that night the sheriff put down the priceless binoculars and reclined back with her coffee. This had been her third night out on watch and Emma was starting to get used to the sedentary lifestyle that came with stakeouts (coffee and protein bars were her new diet). Regina had let Emma assist the investigation into Gold's mysterious plan, although when Emma thought about it she was the one doing the heavy lifting (or prolonged sitting) as she was the one out there on the front lines. Regina seemed to enjoy keeping an even lower profile or as Emma would put it, the "chicken's strategy." She didn't share this alternate term with Regina, of course.

Though since the day their alliance was struck the Mayor had kept her promise in toning down her obvious revulsion for the blonde. She even allowed her to pick Henry up from school and spend a sufficient amount of time with him, and by "sufficient" Regina meant an hour. Emma was disappointed with the allotted period but took what time she was given with her son. Henry was his usual wily self, cherishing every second he had with Emma. He asked her questions about her life in Boston, if she had friends or members of her foster family she still spoke to, what her favorite ice cream was, her favorite movie… the questions came one after the other. The fairytale book and the curse never came up in conversation. It was strange to be with Henry and not talk about a topic that had once dominated the majority of their discussions. Things grew even odder when a few weeks ago Emma received an invitation from Regina to have dinner with her and Henry. It was another sign of her ability to be reasonable, she had explained, another peace offering. It was suspicious behavior, but Emma took the invitation and was glad she did for twice a week the three of them would enjoy a very ordinary supper talking about very ordinary things. It resembled, Emma ventured, a family dinner.

As much as she liked spending time with Henry - and at rare times with Regina - the investigation was priority one. That was why Emma was stretched out in her car at five o'clock in the afternoon on stakeout. Her stomach grumbled loudly reminding her how long it had been since her last decent meal. She tipped back the last bit of strong coffee to settle her appetite. Just as the lid left her lips she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye: Gold walking across the parking lot with a large tote bag in his grip. She had seen him enter the hospital with the same bag on two other occasions and both times she followed him from his shop to the hospital and back. What occurred between entering and leaving the building Emma had no idea, but this time she would find out exactly why this place in particular held Gold's interest.

After snapping a few photos with her binoculars Emma slid out of her VW and followed the pawnbroker while keeping a safe distance behind. She tailed him all the way up to the third floor where she was delayed by a herd of nurses walking down the narrow hallway. She halted to let them pass her and caught a few words, "I don't know what it could possibly be," and "I've never seen it before." Emma also heard, "strange" and "not ordinary." Bingo. Emma took a deep breath and let it out, not sure if she was relieved or disappointed that she was in the right place. Turning the corner the sheriff came to a hallway with a few empty gurneys along the wall and a doctor standing with a clipboard making notes. No Gold in sight. "Damn it," she cursed.

Emma checked almost every occupied room on the floor. The rooms smelled of disinfectant which Emma found nauseating. The squeaky clean floors and surfaces also made the blonde feel uncomfortable and nostalgic for the messy VW she'd grown accustomed to sitting in. Whatever the sheriff might have expected to find did not materialize. Taking a glance into each room all she came across were sleeping patients tucked neatly in their beds, no visitors, no doctors, and no nurses to be found. Something didn't feel right, she thought.

"Sheriff Swan?"

Emma jumped at the voice and spun to see Dr. Whale.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Is there something I can do for you, Sheriff?"

"Yes, in fact there is. Have you seen Mr. Gold around here lately?"

"Of course, he stops by every so often to drop off toys for our young patients. He always was good with the children."

I somehow find that hard to believe, Emma thought. "Have these visits been happening more frequently? Say, the past two months?"

Dr. Whale was about to speak and then paused. "Well, now that you mention it he has been stopping by quite often, but that might just be because of the sick patients."

Emma remembered what she had overheard from the nurses upon entering the wing. "What sick patients?"

The sandy haired man pulled his lips into a thin line and then finally opened them to explain. "About a month ago we started having patients go into fits of confusion… delirium." He shook his head still trying to grasp the peculiar symptoms. "Then after a few hours they succumbed to a coma-like state."

"Coma-like state? What exactly does that mean?" Emma asked, confused.

"Here, let me show you," the doctor directed her to the room across from them. Opening the door he led her to the bedside of a 26 year-old male. He had short brown hair, thick eyebrows, and a lanky build. After a few seconds Emma recognized him as Jim, Henry's school gym teacher. She remembered questioning him the night of Kathryn's disappearance after he found her car abandoned at the side of the road. He was a kind man who spoke truthfully and, as sheriff, Emma appreciated that.

"Darkness," he murmured in his sleep.

"He's talking!" Emma noted to Dr. Whale, astonished.

"Yes, he's been speaking like that for a while." He was then interrupted by more mumbling.

"Save him… solid… trapped." Jim's fists were clenched and held tight against his sides. Beads of sweat poured down his forehead. His head jerked suddenly and then stilled.

"Nothing he says makes much sense, of course. He doesn't respond to outside stimuli, so it would seem impossible that he could wake up with medical assistance. A few of our patients have similar symptoms: delirium, confusion, and then they enter an undisturbed sleep and mutter nonsense."

"How many patients are a few?"

"Seven."

"Seven?" Emma spun on the man with a mixture of anger and appall. "And you didn't think it appropriate to contact the Sheriff's office?"

"To be honest I didn't think the sheriff had the ability or the authority to do anything," he said with spite. Emma gave him a resentful frown. "I apologize. These cases seem to be getting the better of me. What I mean to say is there didn't seem to be any sign of foul play involved. The patients affected were admitted with minor illness: congestion, ear infection, allergies, high fever. There was no reason to call the Sheriff's department when no crime had been committed."

Emma sighed and then nodded. "I understand." She was disappointed that there didn't seem to be any real evidence against Gold. All she needed was a witness to testify to his appearance in one of the rooms doing whatever he was doing to these patients. Even better, for Emma to catch him in the act so she can give him the ass kicking of the century and have the satisfaction of throwing him in jail. She kept her suspicions to herself, though, because it would be risky when Gold probably had his own spies. If he found out that Emma was on to him he would find a way, yet again, to get two steps ahead of her.

"Sheriff Swan, do you think there is a connection between Mr. Gold's visits here and my sick patients?"

Without a doubt, Emma thought. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. You say he's good with children, how bad could the guy be?"

Dr. Whale nodded slowly and then shrugged, "You're right. Well, if you don't mind I had best be finishing up my rounds."

"Thank you for your help," she replied.

Once Dr. Whale exited the room Emma took one last look at Jim, hands clenching the bed sheet, mumbling. She wished she could piece together what he was saying so she could help him. There had to be a way of catching Gold before he struck again. At a loss for being able to translate the string of babbling Emma looked down, helpless, and then closed the door behind her.

Whatever Gold was doing there it wasn't giving children presents. He had a plan and the hospital had something to do with it. The sick patients and Gold's visits were related in some way, but how, Emma couldn't figure out. There was an obvious connection here that made the sheriff shiver. She had no idea what to expect from this Rumplestiltskin character. That was Regina's department.

All of a sudden Emma remembered her plans for the night. "Damn," she muttered, looking at the clock. "This is just not my day." Emma wound down the stairway cursing and made a beeline for her car.


The doorbell chimed just as Regina pulled the roast chicken out of the oven. "Henry, can you go and see our guest in?" The boy closed his textbook with a grin and wasted no time in hopping off the kitchen stool to race for the front door. "Walk, please!" Regina warned.

As soon as Henry corralled the blonde into the dining room Regina instructed him to put his homework away and clean up. The two women were left alone.

"Late as usual," the brunette commented as she looked over Emma's wrinkled attire "And in such proper dress."

Emma had not only become used to these jibes but came to enjoy them. The mayor's less than flattering comments were harmless and the blonde took pleasure in occasionally one upping her in their bickering. Emma in turn gave Regina a blatant once over well aware of the mayor still watching her. The chocolate brown hair fell in its natural style about her shoulders, but the pearls around her neck and the outfit were new. The navy blue dress hugged every curve the woman owned. The neckline was conservative, but the sleeveless option drew attention to her petite shoulders. Emma's eyes trailed lower to where the dress stopped above the knees and continued her scrutiny down to the matching heels. There wasn't a tan line in sight. Emma could almost feel the warmth emanating from the woman's perfectly bronzed skin. She was possessed by utter fascination. When the blonde remembered the ability to speak she stated rather sluggishly, "I didn't realize I was attending a ball tonight." It was the only compliment she could craft without aggravating the other woman.

"There is no reason we can't sit for a meal in suitable clothing."

Or in very little clothing, Emma thought. She swallowed as she watched the brunette deliberately lean over the table to place the main dish down. Once she snapped out of it her eyes glazed over at the sight of the spread before her. There was a bowl of mixed greens, Jell-O salad, and at the table's center was a perfectly browned chicken with a slightly crispy skin and glistening in its own juices. The meat was garnished with rosemary and surrounded by roasted red potatoes, garlic cloves, and sliced apples. "You had time to make all this?"

"Certainly. Being a single parent and mayor of a town hones my ability to multitask." Regina wiped her hands on a dishtowel and Emma couldn't help but smile when the woman used it to wipe a smudge of grease off the main platter.

"Well, you're technically not a single parent anymore." Emma mused. She caught Regina's startled look and quickly stammered out, "N-not that we're together in that way. I meant that we're raising him… separately. We're both single still." Emma frowned at her own explanation and wished she had shut her mouth.

"Please do us both a favor, Sheriff, and quit while you are so ahead." Regina sighed and flashed Emma one of her prize-winning fake smiles. Turning around she shouted from the kitchen doorway, "Henry! Dinner!"


Supper was comparable to their previous gatherings which were pleasant and, at times, amusing. Henry talked about a new friend he had made at school and the sleepover they were planning out. He also drilled Emma with more questions about herself to which Regina glowered and chided, "We don't want to bother Miss Swan out of Storybrooke again now do we?" Emma couldn't tell if it was a joke or not, but once Henry laughed she just went along with it.

Once desert was finished they each fell into their designated stations in the assembly line Regina created for cleaning dishes. Regina washed, Henry dried, and Emma (being the tallest) stowed away the dishes in their proper cabinets. That night they had broken their earlier record; Henry held up his stopwatch to both of them with the evidence. Regina commented that it wasn't speed, but the quality of cleanliness and organization that mattered. Emma and the boy shared identical eye rolls. Regina finally sent a protesting Henry to bed after promising to think over the sleepover.

Alone once again the two women proceeded into the mayor's home office. It was a routine they had become so accustomed to that neither had to give direction. Regina approached a table and set down a tray that consisted of milk, sugar, two ceramic cups, and a hot pot of coffee.

"Dinner was fantastic," praised Emma.

"Thank you. The apples were from my own tree." Regina sat down at her cherry wood desk and flipped the power switch on her computer.

"I bet they were." Emma smiled knowingly.

The computer chimed at startup and faded from its welcome screen to the desktop. The wallpaper was a photo of a smiling 4-year-old Henry sitting on a couch mushed between two pillows. He had a pop-up book in his tiny little hands with a finger pointing to the page as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. Emma wished she could have been there to experience Henry's early years. She was also curious to know what it would have looked like to see Regina reading to the toddler. She smiled and reminded herself to ask Regina for a copy of the picture one of those days.

"Okay Sheriff, what do you have for me?" Emma caught the mayor's usual 'let's get down to business' tone and extracted the memory card from her pocket. She put it in the woman's outstretched hand. The photos she had taken that afternoon appeared on the screen and Regina clicked through them methodically. "These are very high quality photos," the brunette added. She turned slightly in her chair to give Emma a surprised, if not impressed, raise of the eyebrows.

"Oh, I uh… just recently got a new camera. It was on sale, a real steal," Emma emphasized with a violent nod of the head.

"For which you paid out of your own pocket I hope?"

"Mm-hmm," Emma replied while trying not to avoid Regina's narrowed stare. Buyer's remorse was a bitch.

Somewhat content, the brunette's attention returned to the photos. While doing so, Emma briefed her on what took place during her stakeout; the gossiping nurses, the eerie silence permeating the hallway, the sick patients, and Dr. Whale's suspicions. Nothing was left out for she learned from previous meetings that Regina appreciated the details.

"So you didn't find out what Gold was doing there?" the mayor questioned. Emma shrugged weakly already feeling disappointed in herself. Regina let out a frustrated sigh and snapped, "How could you lose him like that? What have you been doing the past two months? You are supposed to be following him not spying on hospital nurses!"

The blonde tipped her head and raised her brow, a look Regina had been trained to heel upon command. She promised to be civil but every once and a while Emma had to remind her of that oath.

Regina face strained to prevent another outburst. She closed her eyes as fingers went to rub her temple. She asked softly, "Is that all?"

"Yeah, that's it." Emma hung her head in shame. After two months of tailing suspicious residents, spending hours sitting in her car drinking copious amounts of coffee and the late night meetings with Regina the sheriff was growing tired. She wanted things to go back to the way they were when she didn't have the pressure of saving a whole town on her shoulders or of possessing an earth shattering secret she couldn't reveal to anyone. Suddenly, she realized that if things went back to the time before Gold released magic then Emma wouldn't have the kind of relationship she had now with Henry and his adoptive mother. Things were good between them. She got to spend time with her son for one thing and the conversations the two women shared never ended in violent shoving or fist fights. Emma felt a sense of acceptance and respect when she was over at the mayor's mansion; she almost felt wanted. It was one hell of a deal breaker.

"We have to be missing something." Regina went back to the computer to scrutinize every detail in the photos. "What about the bag he's carrying? Could he be taking something in or bringing something out?"

"I don't know." Emma placed a hand on the mayor's chair and leaned in to get a better look. Neither of them seemed bothered by how close they were to each other. Emma was too curious about Gold's bag to notice the goosebumps along the mayor's arms and Regina was too absorbed in the computer screen to feel the blonde's hot breath on her shoulder. Emma pointed to the screen. "Zoom in there."

With a click of the mouse Regina focused in on Gold's duffle bag. At closer view there was a distinctive bulge about the luggage. "There's something in there," she noted and zoomed in on the next picture to confirm her statement. "Whatever it is, he must being using it on those patients, and some sort of magic must be involved… I don't know yet what kind."

"Do you have any idea what he could want with these patients?"

Regina shook her head. "I simply don't have enough to go on." She paused. "But I know who can find out more." The mayor stood up and paced in front of the desk. "Sidney."

The blonde's face fell. "No."

"Yes."

"Regina," Emma gave out an anguished groan. "You can't bring him into this!"

"That is not my intention. He has resources that will allow us to gain a better idea of what Gold is planning." She glanced distractedly at her desk. "I will admit he is not you, however –"

"Excuse me?"

The brunette sighed impatiently. "What I mean, Sheriff, is that he is a pest without the slightest shred of integrity. He is nothing more than expendable."

Emma paused. She wasn't sure she heard correctly and after processing the information was a bit startled by the veiled compliment. "Oh."

"Sidney will do anything I ask of him," she stated with a sour expression. "That is the only reason I keep him around. I will call him tomorrow and ask him to gather intel on Gold's recent deals around town. He should be able to do as much without a considerable explanation as to why. Does this suit you?"

"I guess. Just make sure you contact me as soon as he finds anything out. Dr. Whale doesn't know how long those patients are going to remain comatose, and there's no telling what will happen to them in the meantime. The sooner we nail Gold the better."

"I agree. This has gone on long enough." Regina went back to her computer and returned the memory card back to Emma.

As soon as they wrapped up the rest of the meeting and finished their coffee the two headed for the foyer. Emma turned on her heel to give Regina a smirk and said, "You know, I wouldn't have figured you for a Jell-O salad kind of girl."

"It's Henry's favorite," Regina said simply. After a moment she clasped her hands and continued. "I would like to thank you for coming to these dinners I put on. It makes Henry happy to see you."

"I'm glad. I like spending time with him… and you, when you're being nice to me." Emma finished pointedly.

"Yes, well, I try my best." Gazing elsewhere Regina absentmindedly smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her dress. Emma thought for a moment that the woman was hiding a blushing face but the sheriff brushed it off as a ridiculous assumption.

They passed the next awkward minute in silence until Emma motioned to the front door and spoke up, "I guess I better be off."

Regina touched her earing and then her eyebrow in a fleeting motion. "Uh-huh." She nodded and tucked in her chin as she followed the woman to the door. A shiver ran over her as she watched Emma slipping into her leather jacket, that stupid red thing she always wore… and wore very well, Regina thought. The source of the chill became known when she realized she had already pulled opened the door leaving a gap for the early autumn breeze. Emma snuck one last look at the dress and gave her a shy nod, stepping into the night.

"Drive safely, Sheriff."

Emma shouted from the pathway, "Always do."


Emma said a prayer, hoping that her roommate would be asleep. She was always careful in entering quietly and sneaking away to her bedroom without being seen. She did not want to have to explain why she was coming in late from the mayor's and if the conversation ever came up (god forbid) Emma would certainly have a difficult time fabricating a reason. She arrived at the entrance and slid her key in the hole to unlock her apartment. Behind the door was a very much awake Mary Margaret sitting at their dining table. The schoolteacher looked up from her book with a curious expression on her face. "You were out late."

The blonde closed the door behind her. This was the first time she had caught Emma coming in after her meetings with Regina. Mary Margaret knew, of course, of the dinners held at the mansion and how much time Emma was spending with Henry, but she hadn't been told of the late nights the blonde was sharing with the mayor, alone. Mary Margaret may not hate Regina, but she certainly didn't approve of the way she went about certain things (how she treated Emma for one). It wouldn't do any good to reveal the truth because neither of them was ready for that and Emma didn't want to put Mary Margaret in danger of becoming Gold's leverage. The alternative was to lie, though, Emma was afraid to come up with a particular reason why the mansion had been so "inviting" in the evening hours of the night. The only option remaining was to say nothing and avoid her friend. Tension built between them those past two months as a result.

Emma heard the jingling of metal against metal and looked down to see her hands fingering the keys. "Henry wanted to watch a movie. It just happened to be two hours long."

"What movie?" Mary Margaret took a sip of her tea, staring over the mug at her friend.

"…Finding Nemo."

"Oh yeah, he's been trying to get me to show it in class as an end-of-the-year treat." She took her mug to the sink and then leaned against the counter behind her. "How was dinner?"

"Same as always. Henry is still asking me about my favorite color and what I like best in my coffee." Emma walked over to the kitchen and set her keys down. "He's made a new friend at school and wants to go on his first sleepover." Emma laughed to herself. "Everything is just rainbows and butterflies with this kid."

Mary Margaret smiled and replied, "Yeah, he's a bundle of joy that one." She crossed her arms. "And Regina? How is she?"

Emma knew what she was asking but couldn't help second guessing herself, wondering if there was an ulterior motive hidden up that sweater sleeve. Mary Margaret was not the devious type; then again, she thought, I don't really know her do I? "She's good. Things are good." Emma smiled reassuringly at the woman. Before the schoolteacher could inquire further, Emma interjected, "I'm kind of tired. I think I'm going to hit the sack."

"O-okay. Goodnight then."

Emma felt a pang of guilt at her friend's downcast expression. All Mary Margaret wanted to know was what was going on with her friend, to be there for her if she needed to be and Emma had responded by brushing her off. It was a tactic she had been perfecting, it would seem.

Without taking off her boots or any of her clothes Emma settled for collapsing onto her bed in exhaustion. It had been a long day and she didn't care to think about any of it. Her run in with Mary Margaret, however, would not let her sleep in peace.

She liked that Mary Margaret worried about her, but sometimes that just made things worse. Did the woman care because they were best friends or was it that she subconsciously yearned to protect her daughter? This question had been bothering Emma for two whole months.

Emma always wished to have what was never given to her: a true mother and close friends. When Mary Margaret came into her life she turned into the kind of friend that was always there to talk, to console, to be present. Then upon hearing that this woman was her biological mother, the one that abandoned her to a cruel and friendless world, it all weighed so heavy on her shoulders. It was confusing to live with someone you thought you had known. Mary Margaret may be her flesh and blood but she couldn't even remember giving birth to Emma. So although it would seem that a long lost child had finally found her mother it was still in part a fabrication. And Emma had lost a friend in the process, for how could she be that trustworthy friend Mary Margaret had been to her when Emma couldn't be honest in return? Emma was torn between a heart that desired motherly affection and a head that warned her to keep her distance. It was too much for her conscience to carry

She thought back to a few weeks ago when she had considered moving out of their apartment. That day her bags were packed and her key was placed on the nightstand. She called Granny to inquire about a spare room, but was met with disappointment. Where else could she go? Emma considered the mayor's mansion because at least Regina knew her situation with Mary Margaret and she could be just as close to Henry. She got as far as dialing the mayor's number before she hung up. Whether it was fear of crossing a line with Regina or being locked into some sort of commitment to Henry it didn't matter. Either way, she was doing what she swore she would never do again: run. So she bit the bullet and stayed.

Laying on her back the blonde closed her eyes. As disappointing and exhausting as the past 24 hours were there were some things about the day that produced a smile on Emma Swan's lips. She held in a deep breath and blew it out, forgetting her worries. Sleep soon came upon her and a particular navy blue dress dominated her dreams.