The Beauty of the Beast

Chapter 7

Emma was sitting at her desk at the station, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was exhausted, emotionally drained and worried sick.

Worried about her son, but also worried about Regina. And she did not even know why.

They had never really gotten along.

Well, after their bad start that had not been much of a surprise, but still.

Everything with Regina seemed to be complicated and difficult, tense and nerve wrecking.

All their arguments had driven Emma crazy, not to forget about the fact that the mayor of Storybrooke had a long history of violence and crime since she used to be The Evil Queen.

And yet Emma Swan did care.

Not only because the brunette had been beaten down badly, but because Regina had tried lately.

Really tried. To be better for her son.

"How's Henry? Is he okay?"

Ruby's voice had the sheriff out of her thoughts immediately.

"He's trying to be strong, but I know he is hurting…'cause no matter what Regina has done in the past, she is still his mother. She raised him and he loves her…" the blonde answered and sighed heavily.

"I can't believe that she really left", the deputy stated and let herself fall into a chair, facing Emma.

"Me neither."

Before Emma's thoughts could drift off once again, the phone rang and when she hung up about two minutes later she looked right into the worried face of her deputy.

"That was the hospital. The results of the kitchen towel have proven that the blood was not human. It is the blood of a cat."

"You know what that means? Regina told the truth", Ruby stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, she still could have killed Neal…" the blonde's mind was one big jumble.

"Emma, do you think Regina is guilty?"

"To be honest…no. I don't think she's done it", the sheriff answered in a serious tone.

"Good. Because I don't think she has done it either", Ruby admitted.

"So, what are we going to do? We need to prove it", Emma sounded desperate.

"We'll follow the leads…and our instincts."


Emma had decided to pick Henry up from school and once she saw him coming out of the building, looking so unbelievably sad, her heart broke even more.

But when Emma saw Mary Margaret coming into her direction she told her son to go and sit in the car, that she had to take care of something.

Henry had looked confused, but had done as he was told anyway.

"Emma, we need to talk…"

"Really? About what?" the blonde turned round to face her mother, her eyes sparkling furiously.

"Things have gotten completely out of control yesterday and I know there is no excuse for it, but you have to understand…" Mary Margaret started, but was cut off by her daughter eventually.

"No, you have to understand that what you did is all kinds of wrong. I've been stupid enough to listen to you…because you are self-righteous and blind. Just so you know…there is a fair chance that Regina is innocent…at least this time…and that is what makes everything even worse", the blonde yelled.

"What are you trying to say? Regina didn't kill Neal?" Mary Margaret did not understand. It simply did not make any sense.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. And I will prove it", Emma stood there, hands on her hips, watching her mother's face fall.

"That's…I'm sorry. Everybody assumed…is she okay?"

"She's gone. She left town in the early morning."

"What?" Mary Margaret could not believe it. Emma had to be joking. Regina would never...

"You have no idea what you have done. Or how much you have hurt Henry, YOUR grandson. His mother left town to protect him. She left him because nobody gave her a chance."


Emma and Henry drove over to the mansion to get some of his stuff because he had not been able to pack anything the other day.

The blonde sat on the bed of her son, watching him gather his belongings, wondering where the mayor might be.

Being in Regina's house in her absence simply felt all kinds of wrong and Emma was confused by her own feelings.

For a long time she would have done practically everything to make the brunette disappear and now that Regina indeed was gone she wanted her to come back.


Granny had been waiting for them once they had made it back to the small hotel and had suggested that she would bake cookies with Henry.

Emma was glad that somebody would take care of her son because she had to leave in order to follow her instincts.

Once she arrived at Mr. Gold's shop Emma hesitated. She felt bad about bothering the old man in this time of grieve, but she had to talk to him – for Henry's sake.

She found him standing in his shop, seemingly lost, so she cleared her throat to make her presence felt, "Mister Gold, do you have a minute?"

"Of course, dearie. What can I do for you?"

"Any chance you know something about a dead cat in front of the mayor's house?" Emma looked at him expectantly.

"I beg your pardon?" he looked at her in confusion.

"Listen, Mister Gold. Everybody's competence to judge here in Storybrooke has been affected by the death of Neal Cassady…", she started to explain.

"He was my son! My son…" Mr. Gold was close to tears, "I've just got him back…why did she do that?"

"That's the point. Regina might not be the one who killed your son", Emma commented quickly.

"Of course it's been her. Who else would…"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Mister Gold. I know you are mourning and I bet you want revenge, but maybe you are blinded by that at the moment. So I'm asking you again…do you know something about that cat the mayor ran over that night?" the blonde watched him closely to make sure he took her serious.

"No, I don't."

He stared right into Emma's eyes for a moment, but then he turned round and faced the wall.

"That is too bad. Because for one…I want to catch the real killer and second…you and I…we both know…if Regina Mills didn't kill your son…Storybrooke might have a bigger problem than we all think…", Emma announced in a very serious tone, "Anyway…I gotta go. You know where you'll find me…just in case. Good bye, Mister Gold."


Emma stood there, leaning against the doorframe of Granny's kitchen and watched the old woman and Henry interact.

Her son had not noticed that she was back yet and she felt quite comfortable by smply watching him for a few minutes.

It calmed her down, gave her a little peace during this difficult time.

Neal's death had upset her so much and she never had found time to get over that. But now that Regina had left as well she felt even worse.

Granny was standing in front of the oven, obviously waiting for the cookies to be ready, when Henry started to cry and the old woman knelt down beside him immediately, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"N-nothing…it's just…mom a-and I…we…we used to back cookies together at…times…", he sobbed, "I…I just…can't believe she is…that she left…"

"We'll bring her back."

With that Emma entered the kitchen and pulled her son close. She realized, more than ever, that Henry needed both his mothers.

She had to find the real killer, she had to prove Regina's innocence. She just did not know how.


Ruby had agreed to stay with Henry during the night, because Emma had to work a nightshift at the station.

Now that the blonde was sitting at her desk, studying files, she regretted that she had not stayed with her son. Henry needed her and she was aware of that.

And yet she was driven by the urge to find Neal's murderer, to prove Regina's innocence.

To bring the brunette back to Storybrooke.

For Henry.

"Miss Swan…"

The sound of Mr. Gold's voice made her jump. She had not realized his presence and she wondered how he had gotten inside since she was pretty sure that she had locked the door after she had entered the station.

"Mister Gold…what are you doing here at this late hour?" she took a look at the clock, just to find out that it was way past midnight.

"I thought about the conversation we had earlier…" he explained quickly.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Emma stood up and started to drum on the desk with the fingers of her right hand.

"I've taken the dead cat out of Miss Mills garbage. That night…when you arrested her…I was here…right outside the station. The window was open…" the old man started his explanation.

"And you heard her tell me about the cat", the blonde concluded from what Mr. Gold had already told her.

"Yes. I was so sure that she had killed Bael…I still am. And I knew that she would get away with that story if you'd found the cat. So I took it out of the trash can…her story seemed to be so unlikely and I knew if you wouldn't find that cat, you would lock her up", Mr. Gold admitted, "But if you are right…and she has not killed my son…"

"She is not guilty, Mr. Gold, believe me. Where is that cat?" Emma demanded to know.

"I threw it into the trash bin at the backside of my shop."

"Fine. Let's go then."


They had driven over to Gold's pawnshop in silence, but now that they were standing in front of the three black trash bins Emma felt slightly nervous, "Which one?"

"The left one."

Emma took a deep breath and opened the bin, staring inside for a minute, "Are you kidding me?! There is no cat."

"That's impossible", Mr. Gold stated in disbelief.

He took a look as well, but there was no corpse of a cat.

The sheriff took a look into the other trash bins too, but nothing.

All the garbage was still there, the bin had not been emptied, but the cat was gone.

How was that possible?

"I don't understand", the old man, who was leaning on his cane, whispered.

"Are you serious? Don't tell me you don't know what's going on. You are the one, who can tell the future…you are…", but when Emma saw the look on Gold's face her own fell, "You really have no idea?"

"The cat was in there. I threw it into that bin myself!"

"Okay…that can't be a coincidence. And I bet it doesn't mean anything good…"

Emma sighed heavily, trying to stay calm.

"I'm afraid you are right, dearie."

"Mister Gold, we need to figure out what is going on before the apocalypse or whatever hits Storybrooke…even I can smell the magic here…"

"I agree. But you have to promise me something, Miss Swan. Once we've found the murderer of my son, you have to leave them to me", the old man demanded.

"We could make a deal…what do you say?" the challenging tone in Emma's voice was unmistakable.

"A deal? What do you want?" he smiled sheepishly.

"Regina's powers. I want them."

She looked straight into Gold's eyes to make sure that she was not playing games, that this was no joke. Not at all.

"You want the evil queen's powers…why is that, dearie? You've gotten ambitious?"

"Not at all. I want to give them back to her when she returns. Nobody is strong enough to hold them…not even her. But somehow…well, they belong to her", Emma tried to explain.

"Why are you so sure that she comes back? And why do you care?"

Mr. Gold watched the sheriff intensely.

"Do we have a deal…or not?"

Emma's voice was just a growl. She would not answer Gold's question. She was not even sure if she would be able to answer it or how.

"Oh, we have a deal, dearie. We have a deal."

He laughed excitedly and Emma started to wonder if she had made the right one.