Thicker Than Blood

Rating: M


Chapter 6: Jar of Heart.

"I don't know what it would do to you Clara," I stated as I looked into her eyes, she was looking at me as well. She seemed not to care about the possible repercussions to her actions, I wanted her to have a chat with her sister but I knew that that wasn't going to happen unless I made it happen. "I want you to go talk to your sister Avyanna." She shook her head again and continued to look at me. I could see her fighting internally between wanting to listen to me because of the use of her name or wanting to just go and hide. "I'll drive you and help you if you need. But you're going to speak with her Avyanna." She nodded finally, silently admitting defeat.

"Fine Gold, let's go before I change my mind," She stated quietly as she linked arms with me again, like she had before, and we walked toward the car. I drove us toward Mayor Mills' manor and waited for her to get out before getting out myself. "If I need you I'll call for you." She walked toward Regina's door and waved her hand over it before opening it and walking in. I nodded and looked into the house through the window, I would step in if need be.

(Clara's P.o.V)

"Clara, what are you doing here? I'm calling Ms. Swan," Regina stated quickly as I walked into the room she was in, she reached for a phone and I blasted it away from her. "Clara, let's talk about this, there's no reason to do anything rash and my son is right up stairs." I glared at her as my hand twitched again, this repercussion thing was getting on my nerves, and I would make sure that I got this heart out no matter what. "Let's just sit and talk about this."

"Get this heart out of me Regina!" I exclaimed as I glared at her, with a glare that would kill if looks could kill. "I can't deal with its incessant beating. Make it stop your I'll stop yours." Her eyes went wide and she reached for her pocket and pulled something out before pressing on it a few times. I blasted that thing out of her hand as well. "You're going to get this heart out of my chest Regina." She shook her head and looked at me with a look that had a trace of fear. I felt Rumpelstiltskin's presence just outside and I felt an odd sense of comfort knowing that he was there.

"No you get to keep your fun new organ," Regina replied snidely as she looked at me, the fear gone when she noticed the twitch that I now had. "And you now have repercussions to your magic don't you?" She was smiling smugly and I knew that I would do whatever it took to get that heart out of me. "So, no I won't take that heart out, nor will I tell Whale to do so either." Her mind was made up and now I knew that the only way to get her to do something would be to get her mad so that's what I would do.

"Or is it because you can't take it out Gina?" I demanded hotly as I looked at her, a glint of contempt in my look. I knew that if I goaded her enough, questioning her abilities that she would do it to prove me wrong. "Come on Gina; prove to me that you can take it out." She glared at me with a look that could kill if that were a possibility. Her anger level was rising, I didn't fully understand if she would get mad enough to help me or mad enough to kill me. "Come on Gina, prove it to me." Regina stormed up to me and grabbed my shoulder before thrusting her hand into my chest and squeezing where that heart was. I let out a whimper and heard the door open and close.

"Regina, take your hand out of her chest and come have a chat with me in the kitchen," Mr. Gold stated firmly as he walked up to my sister and I. Regina looked scorned and gave one final squeeze before throwing me bodily from her. "Clara please sit down, we'll be done shortly." I nodded and watched them walk away, I felt something shifting in my back as I got up from the ground and moved to a chair, I didn't know how strong Regina was but I had a feeling that she used magic to move me as far as she could.

(Mr. Gold's P.o.V)

"Why did you stop me Gold?" Regina demanded as soon as we were just inside the kitchen. "I could have solved all our problems, that's what she is; she's a problem for all of us." I shook my head, Regina may see her as a problem but I see her as an asset. I pulled out a piece of paper that I had written on while I was waiting, it had the deal that I was going to make on Clara's behalf with Regina. "It was just a few more moments and she'd be gone." I could tell that it would drive Regina to insanity that she couldn't kill Clara.

"I have a deal to make with you Regina, on Clara's behalf," I stated calmly as I looked at the scorned looking woman in front of me, she motioned me to continue. "The deal is this, I'll take the heart out for her and she'll stay out of your hair for a few weeks." Regina looked slightly delighted and slightly appalled; I had to hope that she would take it without reading it, because I really wanted Clara as an ally instead of as a foe. "Just agree and you won't have to deal with her for a minimum of two weeks." Regina nodded with a hand to her head, and a smirk on her face.

"One condition, she keeps the repercussions for magic," Regina stated with a gleeful smirk, I knew that she would try something like this and I had indeed accounted for it. I couldn't keep the repercussions but I could have Clara pretend that she did. "Make that happen and I won't kill her yet." I nodded and held out my hand to shake on it, I'd have her sign a paper copy after I drew one up. "What no written contract Gold? You're losing your touch." She had a smirk on still, I shook my head and looked toward the door after hearing a noise and saw a paper slide under it, and then I heard a slam. I walked over to it and picked it up; it was a paper copy of the contract.

"Right here dearie," I stated with a giggle as I read through it, it included everything discussed even the retention of her repercussions. "Just sign on the lines with the X's dearie." I grabbed a pen out of a cup on her counter and handed her both contract and pen. Regina smirked as she took the contract and pen, she then signed it and handed it back to me, I signed it as well. "Thank you Regina, now we'll be out of your hair." I walked out of the kitchen while rolling my deal and putting it into a small cylinder that Clara produced for me. "Come along Clara, let's get you home." She nodded and stumbled toward the door with me following.

"Why did she let me go?" Clara asked cautiously as we made our way to the car, she got into the passenger's seat and waited after closing her door. "She was ready to kill me Mr. Gold, why did she stop?" I started the car and drove off toward the house, it was getting late and I could imagine that she would want that pesky heart out; I had a selection of antique apothecary jars for her to choose from if she liked. "How did you get her to let me go?" She apparently wasn't going to let it go until I told her, and I guess I would have to tell her about the deal, which she already knew about because she's the one who created the paper copy.

"I made a deal with her in your name," I replied as I took a glance at her, she seemed happy and content but there was a sliver of fear in her eyes. "You drew up the contract, quite well I'd say, honestly." She nodded with a slight smirk, she knew of her deal making abilities and the level to which she held her standards for her deals. "I like the wording for your repercussions, I can imagine you'd hate keeping that, very imaginative and quick witted for that bit." She had worded it so that the repercussions would were off in a matter of two to three weeks, but disguised it with fancy words. "Let's get home to get that pesky heart out; I have a selection of lovely glass jars and boxes for you to choose from for it." She nodded with a slight chuckle as we turned onto the road my house was on.

"I'm actually frightened to see what this wretched heart looks like," She murmured softly, she looked strangely at peace, but there was still a sliver of fear and worry mixed with a determination for something that I couldn't pinpoint. "I wonder if it will be black like Regina's or red like my deceased adoptive sister?" She looked thoughtful and a smile broke out on her face at a thought of something, I pulled into the driveway and into the garage, just as soon as I took the key out of the ignition she was out of the car, like a kid at a candy store. "Can we hurry this up Mr. Gold?" She was practically vibrating, she was bouncing so much, I let a smile grace my face for a moment before I put a hand on her shoulder to get her to stand still.

"Just relax and hold still dearie," I stated quietly as I tried to hold her down, she was literally almost vibrating possibly with excitement, I hoped it was excitement and not fear or something similar as a reason for her vibration. "You really need to calm down Clara; I don't need to be injuring you with this action." She calmed down slightly, it wasn't all the way but it was enough for me to be able to remove the heart without hurting her. "But first, shall we find a container?" She nodded and I brought her into the back room of the house, it held some things that I hadn't catalogued to put in the shop yet, that's where I kept the jars and boxes that I had kept potion ingredients in while in the Enchanted Forest. She went straight for the glass jars; she looked at a few of them and picked one that was a purple base, which could be seen through, it had a pointed glass topper as well. I smiled at her choice and grabbed it, we walked back into the living room, she took the jar and uncapped it. "Remember to relax, take a deep breath and relax." She nodded and held out her arms, her chest wide open for my plundering.

"Could we hurry this along?" She asked as she looked at me, her arms slipping down a little to her sides. I nodded and slowly and gently reached into her chest, I felt the area where her heart was now residing, it was cold and hard, harder than normal at least. I gently removed the heart and watched her face carefully, checking for any amount of discomfort or pain. She looked utterly at peace as I removed the heart from her chest, I looked at it in my hand, her heart was bright red with black lines along the sides and bleeding into the red. I gently placed the heart into the jar before putting the lid on it, I watched it as I moved it, it looked like liquid in a glass and I knew that the heart had assimilated just enough of her own being into it. The shape was even odd to me, it was a shape somewhat between the hearts that decorated on Valentine's day and a real heart, the liquid that seemed to slosh around inside the heart was the color of blood, almost like her body had turned it to glass and morphed its shape. "It's beautiful isn't it Mr. Gold?" I continued to examine it and nodded gently as soon as I capped off the jar.

"Now that that's taken care of," I stated as I looked into the jar, the heart wasn't beating; it wasn't alive like other hearts that were taken from people. "Let's get to bed Clara; it's been a long day." She nodded and smiled before grabbing her jar gently in one hand and wrapping her arms around me in a surprising action. She rested her head against my chest with her arms wrapped around me in a hug. "Could you please let me go dearie?" She let go quickly and stepped away just as fast, she looked at me with confusion. "I was falling over dearie. Now let's head to bed so that we can get an early start to tomorrow, you're coming to work with me at the shop." She nodded and smiled before waving her hand over herself and changing from her day clothes to her night clothes, we both waited for any sign of a repercussion and found none.

"Thank you Mr. Gold," She stated as she looked at me, a smile plastered on her face that looked very out of place on her. She was practically vibrating again, this time I knew why, she was extremely happy. "I owe you for this Rumple." I nodded and motioned toward the stairs, I really did want to get some sleep, and I could see that she did as well. She flicked her wrist and a long scroll of paper appeared in her hand, she signed it and handed it to me after reading it. I read it and became confused, the deal was to the effect that she'd do magic for me, within reason, when I asked, for as long as she was kept out of trouble with the mayor. I smiled and signed it after reading it through completely. "See you tomorrow Rumple." She walked upstairs and I soon followed.

(General P.o.V)

As soon as Clara was upstairs and Mr. Gold there as well she held up the jar with her heart in it and looked at Mr. Gold. He motioned a locked cabinet and then walked past her into his room; she nodded and waved her free hand at the lock. Once the door was opened she gently placed the jar amongst the other treasures inside, one of which was a fairy's wand. "Sleep well Rumplestiltskin," Clara stated loud enough for him to hear before she slipped into her own room, she sat on her bed after pulling back the covers and slid down into them. Mr. Gold was doing a similar routine as Clara except he had to get ready for bed by getting into his sleep clothes, after he did that he slipped into his bed and settled under the sheets and blankets. The entire house was silent as both inhabitants fell into blissful slumber, dreaming of things to come and things that they wanted from life. As the night wore on only one sound could be heard by one person, the sound of a beating heart, it caused the tossing and turning of the female inhabitant of the house. That night she dreamt of nothing but beating hearts and her fears from it.