Gold watched from the car as Emma hugged Mary and Henry goodbye, his heart torn in two. Tension had been mounting between them since breakfast and he knew the ride to the shop wouldn't be pleasant. Unfortunately, in order to gain the knowledge they needed they would need someone who had been under a sleeping curse, which in this world left only Emma's mother and her son. As much as he wanted to spare them, he wanted to keep Cora out of Storybrooke even more. Gold smiled and waved as Henry waved goodbye, escorted by his grandmother to class.
Emma climbed into the driver seat, taking a deep breath as she started the car. For the most part, she felt she was handling everything extremely well under the circumstances. It's not every day you find out your son's soul is stuck in some underworld of fire every time he sleeps. She had been keeping everything locked inside until they were alone, until she was able to ask the question that had been burning in her mind all morning…
"What the hell just happened?" Gold tried to meet her eyes, but she stared straight ahead of her, her body rigid with tension.
"It'll be alright, Emma…" he tried to assure her, unsure of what else to say.
"Like hell it will!" Emma pursed her lips releasing an exasperated sigh. She didn't want to fight with him; it wasn't entirely his fault this happened. Regina cursed the apples and Henry ate them to prove a point. But Gold had promised that he wouldn't use Henry or put him at risk again, and that seemed to be exactly what was he was doing.
"Are you sure there is no way to prevent him from going back there?" she asked, desperate for a way to protect her son.
"Emma, I swear that if there was a way for me to stop it, I would." She didn't have to look at him to know he meant it. With a deep breath she gripped the steering wheel even tighter.
"Should we be worried? I mean, can Cora even make it over here, or are we all just over-reacting?" Gold was silent as he planned his words carefully. He didn't want to lie to Emma, but he didn't want to take her out of the fight before it began.
"Cora is a very determined woman when it comes to Regina. She will not stop until she finds a way here or someone stops her."
"Is there a way to stop her…like from here?"
"I would need to know more about the portal she's using in order to stop her from here. But, if we can get them to my cell in Cinderella's kingdom, I have a special kind of magic there that will stun her long enough to be subdued."
"So basically, before we can do anything we have to wait for Henry to go back to that world?" she spat bitterly, her anger boiling to the surface. "You can't use my son like this…"
"Do you really think I want to?" he challenged sharply. "Emma, Henry will fall into that world regardless until his mind can protect itself. Unfortunately the only way into that world is to have been under a sleeping curse, which in this world leaves only your mother and your son. If there was another way in trust me when I say I would take it."
Emma threw the car into park as she pulled up in front of Gold's shop. Between her mother and her son, obviously she would choose her mother to go, and if Henry was going to wind up there regardless it seemed pointless to ask. But Henry was just a boy, and he shouldn't have to fight this battle.
"Come on, love…" Gold said, opening the door.
"David is waiting for me…"
"Just come on…" Emma stepped from the car with a frustrated sigh, walking around to sidewalk. She didn't fight as Gold pulled her into his arms, placing a gentle kiss to her temple.
"It is going to be alright, Emma. Once we figure out what's going on, I will do everything in my power to ensure Cora never gets over here." The fact that he was actually afraid of this woman only increased her anxiety, but she held no doubt that he meant every word he said.
"I believe you." She mumbled against his chest. Emma's phone buzzed again, another message from her father asking her to get to the station immediately. "Alright, I do have to go now."
"I'll be here if you need me…" A grateful smile formed on her lips, hugging him tightly against her.
"Thank you…"
"You're welcome…now go on." With that Emma got back into the car and drove to the station, ready to face whatever crisis could have been borne out of a double parked car.
Gold watched with a heavy heart as her car disappeared down the road, turning to unlock the door. He left the 'closed' sign in the window heading straight for his office. He pulled out every text he had on magic spells and netherworlds looking for the slightest ray of hope that would spare him using Mary or Henry. Desperate to find anything that could get him to that world without breaking his promise to Emma.
"Alright, you'll be safe in here for now." David said locking the cell door, though he felt Ruby was over-reacting.
"Thank you David…" she whispered weakly as David returned to the office. He opened the desk drawer, tossing the keys inside. He checked his phone again, worried that Emma still wasn't here and that she hadn't responded to his texts. His thoughts drifted to Henry and hoping everything was alright, curious as to what happened after he left. The whole morning felt like a dream, and he was still trying to wrap his head what had happened.
"Thank me later…by then Emma and I will have found out who really killed him –"
"You already have…" David snapped his head up at the voice of King George, watching him walk calmly into the station. "…it's that thing, the she-wolf." He slammed the drawer shut, storming towards his old nemesis.
"…Get out!" David commanded angrily, standing protectively between the king and Ruby. "Whatever issues you have with me don't involve her. There's no proof that Ruby had anything to do with what happened."
"It seems to me that you're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment." The king shot back.
"Leave him alone!" Ruby yelled, charging the cell bars. He didn't even acknowledge Ruby's outburst, leveling David with a cold, hard glare.
"Protecting your friend at the peril of everyone else? I knew you'd slip up shepherd; it was only a matter of time."
"What do you want?" David demanded angrily.
"Justice…hand that over to me and let the town decide her fate."
"Never! I know exactly what kind of justice you have in mind –"
"If I tell everyone that you're putting their lives in danger to protect your own interests you'll have a mutiny on your hands –"
"You want her…you'll have to go through me." David whispered firmly, closing the distance between them.
"I look forward to that." he whispered threateningly. David turned back to Ruby as the King stormed off. "Sherriff…" came his cold voice once more. David looked up at that, seeing Emma standing in the hallway. She rolled her eyes and didn't even bother to respond as she walked into the station, staring confused between Ruby and himself.
"Hey Ruby…" Emma greeted softly, beyond confused when she saw her friend not only locked in a cell, but chained up as well. Ruby's head rested against the bars looking defeated and exhausted, offering a weak smile.
"Hey Emma…" She whispered, falling back to the cot. Emma returned her gaze to her father, motioning her head to her office.
"Can we have a word please?" David nodded, following silently as Emma went straight to the coffee pot. "Did I miss something? You said it was a double parked car; why is Ruby in jail…and in chains?" she asked in hushed tones. David rubbed his eyes and shook his head, as if still trying to figure that out himself.
"After Granny and I found Ruby in the forest someone called me to tell me there was a car double parked at the marina. I called Billy and asked him to meet me there. But when we got there we found a body...it was ripped in half."
Her blood ran cold at his words, her stomach twisting in knots. Just when she thought this day couldn't get worse another murder happens, also at the hands of a friend. On top of being exhausted, Henry's soul travelling to some underworld in sleep, and the fear of Cora making it to Storybrooke, she was beginning to feel herself cracking under the pressure. It was just too much to process at once.
"Ruby didn't do this…" David stated adamantly, knowing her thoughts before she had voiced them.
"Not to jump to conclusions or anything, but Ruby turns into a wolf and now a man is torn in half. What am I supposed to think?" she pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disbelief.
"I don't know Emma, but I know Ruby didn't do this."
"Yea, that'll hold up in court real well," she spat sarcastically before she could stop herself.
"Any better than she turned into wolf and ate him?" her father challenged. Emma shifted anxiously, breathing deeply to calm herself down.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered. A sympathetic smile formed on his lips.
"It's ok…I'm exhausted too." He offered in understanding. She released a heavy sigh, doing her best to push aside her fears about Henry and Cora; forcing herself to focus.
"So, who died?"
"I'm not sure; I think he was a fisherman. But there was no ID on the guy, none of us recognized him; we'll just have to wait for a missing person report…" David said solemnly.
"What about the double parked car, who did it belong to? Maybe they saw something and ran." She asked, hoping for any kind of break that might point to someone else.
"Um…there wasn't one."
"Did Billy tow it before you got there?" she asked, pouring herself her third cup of coffee of the morning.
"No, he was still there when we arrived. He's the one that found the body."
"O…kay, who reported it?" she asked suspiciously.
"It was an anonymous tip…"
"Well, if they called the station, the phone call would've come to me not you…" Emma studied her father, the wheels turning as she mulled over the information. "What about when you got to the marina was anyone else there?"
"No…everyone arrived after we did."
"So someone called you specifically to report a double parked car where there wasn't one and you find a body instead."
"Pretty much…"
"Alright, I'm gonna head to the coroner and have a look at the body…" Emma announced walking toward the cells. "Since we have quite a few hours of daylight left, Ruby, I see no reason to keep you chained up in here."
"Emma you don't understand, I'm dangerous…" Ruby started to argue as David unlocked her chains.
"And we will bring you back before the sun goes down if we haven't figured this out by the then." Emma assured her. Ruby sighed heavily as David escorted her out of the cell. "Stay with her, keep her out of sight and I'll keep you updated."
"I will…" David promised.
"Thank you Emma…" Ruby whispered.
"You're welcome." At that David led Ruby from the station. Emma drank the rest of her coffee in a hurry, grabbing her keys to head right back out.
Emma was grateful for the few minutes alone to sort her thoughts and emotions as she drove to the hospital, though at this point that seemed impossible. Being woken at 4am did nothing to help her physical exhaustion, which in and of itself concerned her. It was her idea to have a movie night and she couldn't keep her eyes open. Either she has seen that movie one too many times or she was coming down with something. But beyond a headache and fatigue she felt fine, hoping she was just more tired then she realized.
She parked her car, mentally preparing herself to see a body in two pieces. Was there a way to prepare for that – for any of this? It was moments like these when she felt entirely inadequate to deal with all this. Even though she accepted it as her new reality, learning how to exist in it was still challenging. She ran trembling fingers through her hair, moving through the hospital to the morgue. Her imagination ran wild, expecting to see a man torn to shreds with vicious claw marks and chunks of skin missing from the attack. With a deep breath she shook herself from her thoughts, pushing the doors open as she stepped inside.
"Hello Sheriff…" the medical examiner greeted. "I take it you're here to see the remains…" Emma could only nod in response, the body still on the table. Sour bile burned in her throat, taking in the bloody mess. She swallowed hard the urge to vomit, her stomach writhing at the sight. She forced herself to remain professional, studying the evidence. Emma glanced first at his left hand – no wedding band. That significantly decreased the chances of someone filing a missing person's report. Her eyes followed his arm to where it met his neck and chest. She was surprised to say the least at the minimal amount of damage done to his upper body and face given the fact the attack was violent enough to sever his body in two.
"Any idea what could have done this?" she asked breathlessly, her words barely a whisper.
"Other than a bear or some vicious wild animal – no." The woman replied calmly. Something seemed to trigger in Emma's mind at her words. She had prepared herself to see a shredded bloody mess, and that wasn't the case. Moving to the bag that held the man's clothing, she studied them intently.
"But if it were a bear, wouldn't the clothing have been shredded?" Emma argued. Other than being bloody, there were no claw marks; no apparent bite marks as was the case with his body. She wasn't a medical examiner, but she had seen enough nature documentaries to know that much was common sense.
"I mean it literally looks like someone sawed the guy in half."
"Well, wound patterns aren't consistent with a saw, but I'm still working on it..." She responded coolly.
"Ok, well, call me if you discover anything that might point to something other than an animal." Emma requested, eager to leave.
"You already arrested an animal didn't you? Why ask me to find what isn't there?" the woman asked coldly. Emma turned sharply toward the Dr., caught off-guard by her words. She had forgotten that in a small town news travels like wildfire. But beyond that, this woman seemed all too willing to just accept that it was a wolf and ignore the blatant inconsistencies with that theory.
"Because wolves tend to prefer forests, not waterfront properties. They leave claw marks and bite marks, both of which are absent from the body." Emma responded in frustration.
"She isn't an ordinary wolf, is she…?" Emma's mouth gaped open, staring incredulously at the older woman.
"Just do your job…and part of your job is to remain objective." The woman snickered with a scowl as Emma stormed off.
Gold tore through another book, tossing it aside as he realized what he already knew – it was useless. He had hoped that there was something in these pages that would give him a way out; a way to get into that world without having been under a sleeping curse. But he knew he wouldn't find anything, just like he knew he'd be unable to prevent Henry from going back there. Perhaps he just needed to feel like he was doing something productive, to feel that he had some semblance of control in all this.
He wanted to protect the boy more than anything, and not just to get in Emma's good graces. But Henry was just a boy who didn't deserve to be going through this, especially because of Regina's thirst for vengeance. He scoffed at his own hypocrisy. After all, it was his need for power that cost him Bae. He slammed another book closed with an aggravated sigh. He had been trying to change, but all his promises to Emma would be worthless if Cora made it through a portal.
The presence of Cora would irrevocably change everything in Storybrooke. Cora was a monster in the truest sense of the word; all smiles and good intentions on the outside, but she cared nothing for anyone but herself and getting what she wanted. And she would stop at nothing, hurting anyone and everyone in order to get it. He feared he would have to turn into a monster again in order to defeat her. Eventually he was going to have to tell Regina, but he was putting that off until he knew exactly what they were dealing with.
"Hey Gold…" the sound of her voice startled him – he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the bell. Emma stepped through the curtain, looking worse now than when she left him. He knew that she was tired, but her face was pale now, her lips lacking their normal healthy shade of red.
"Emma…"
"What's all this?" she asked numbly, motioning to the pile of open books. Gold stood from his chair as Emma approached his desk.
"Research. I'm trying to find another way into that world."
"Any luck?" she asked doubtfully.
"I'm afraid not…" Emma nodded sadly, placing her hands on his chest. His arms circled around her waist, pulling her against him.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked concerned. Emma scoffed with a hoarse chuckle and shook her head.
"After what I just saw..." she didn't even bother finishing her sentence, the image of that man's body forever seared into her consciousness. Resting her head against his chest, she inhaled deeply his cool, crisp scent, relishing in a few moments of peace in this morning from hell.
"What happened?" he prodded gently. At first she said nothing, seeming to need him to hold her more than talk. He tightened his arms around her, running his hand over the expanse of her back.
"I just came from the morgue...a man was torn in half last night." she said suddenly, barely able to get the words out. "And while I want to believe that David is right and Ruby is innocent…"
"She is, in fact a wolf…" Gold provided gently. Emma nodded in agreement, fearing she would have no choice but to arrest Ruby.
"Who died?" Emma lifted her head from his chest, remaining locked in his embrace.
"We're not sure yet. No ID…"
"So the body was devoured then?"
"No and that's the strange part; there were no claw marks or bite marks. He was just cut in half, left at the marina apparently."
"Not to sound morbid, Emma, but wolves eat their prey. They don't just rip a body in half and leave it on display…" Emma perked up at his words, grateful that she wasn't the only who saw something wrong.
"So…you're saying Ruby is innocent?" she clarified hopefully.
"I'm saying don't rule out other possibilities." Having someone else share her concern was all the confirmation she needed.
"Well, my illustrious step-grandfather was already at the station adamantly demanding that we hand Ruby over for justice." Gold shook his head, not at all surprised.
"The king is a very bitter and hateful man, Emma. Do not mistake that he is capable of anything and everything and will stop at nothing to rob Charming of his happiness. Mainly through the people he cares about…"
"Kind of like Regina and Snow?" Emma asked; a bitter edge to her voice. She found herself strangely relieved that she didn't grow up in the Enchanted Forest with two homicidal grandparents, living with the constant threat of one or both of her parents being murdered. Growing up in fear of people who could rip out hearts and cut people in half and frame the innocent – and all for what? Vengeance? Jealousy? To be able to say 'I won…'? It was all completely insane.
"Exactly…" Gold trailed his fingers along the edge of her face, his concern only increasing. "Are you sure you're alright, love? You just look so pale…"
Emma shrugged dismissively, "I'm just tired, or maybe I'm coming down with the flu or something."
"Do you want to cancel dinner?"
"No, it's not that…"
"Just say the word and we'll cancel…" Emma smiled, tangling her fingers in his hair as she hugged him closer.
"Trying to get out of dinner with my parents, huh? Was my father that hard on you this morning?" she teased. Gold quirked an eyebrow at her words, looking offended that she could even suggest such a thing.
"Emma, I have faced my fair share of enemies; I can handle your father. Although I can't remember the last time my palms sweat so much." He replied with a playful smirk.
"Nervous, were you?"
"Well, I do want you to be happy, and I do want to be with you. I was only nervous that if I messed up I'd blow my chances on both counts. I just…I don't ever want you to feel like you have to choose between me and them because we have a bad history…"
"Well, thank you…I hope you know how much I appreciate the effort you're making."
"Only for you, love. But if you don't feel well and need to rest, we can reschedule." He persisted.
"I won't rest tonight…" she stated simply.
"Well, you're going to have to eventually. You staying awake won't prevent Henry from entering that world…"
"I know. I just hate feeling so helpless…" Gold once again pulled her against him, wishing there was some way to ease her mind.
"Give it time, Emma. This all will pass and Henry will be fine, I promise." Emma forced a tight smile, reluctantly pulling herself from his arms.
"I gotta go, still have a murder to solve." She whispered. Clutching his hand in hers, they walked through the curtain together. "As of now we're still having dinner tonight, but it might be delayed depending on when we solve this…" The bell rang and David rushed in panting for breath.
"Hey, sorry to just barge in, I saw your car out front. I just saw King George rallying a bunch of people. I think they'll be heading to the station for Ruby. We should get over there…"
"Where is Ruby?" Emma asked anxiously.
"I left with her with Belle at her father's house. She's packing or something…" he answered breathlessly. Emma squeezed Gold's hand, offering a small smile of thanks. Turning back to her father she released his hand.
"Alright, I'll head to the station. I want you to find Spencer's car and when you do have Billy tow it. Once it's been impounded you can search it. Look for anything that could serve as the murder weapon…but don't touch anything!" Emma ordered, rushing to the door.
"No, I'll go to the station…I don't want you involved in this." David argued.
"I'm already involved. He's baiting you; he wants you at the station. I'll go…" David sighed in resignation, pulling Emma into a brief hug.
"Be careful…" He said softly against her hair. Emma pulled away with a reassuring smile,
"You too…" With that they were gone in an instant and Gold stood alone in his shop. It was still early yet, but with nothing else to do in the shop he decided to just go home. After cleaning up the mess of books on his desk, he locked up the shop and headed to the grocery store in preparation of the upcoming dinner.
Emma stood leaning against the bars of an empty cell, waiting impatiently for an angry mob led by her pseudo-psychotic grandfather. When David told her Spencer had formed a lynching party, Emma thought they were heading to the station that moment. That was an hour ago, and she was still waiting. It was moments like this that she feared she would never understand any of this – this place; these people. Murder seemed to come so naturally to them – people who were able to justify lynching and murder as acceptable forms of justice.
More and more, Emma feared the day they would return to the Enchanted Forest, guiltily hoping they'd have to remain here. Yes there was murder here and no shortage of crime, but there was an element of control in this world. People didn't just rally groups of people for the intention of murder…well, at least not anymore. As dark and difficult as this world was, it was the one she knew; the one that was familiar and almost predictable. She especially enjoyed the lack of ogres and unadulterated magic that wreaked havoc on people's lives.
Magic was limited here and already she'd almost lost her son as a result of it, and now his soul is caught between two worlds every time he sleeps. She didn't even want to imagine what it would be like living in that world for the rest of her life. She checked her phone again, hoping her father had found something by now. She returned her phone to her pocket as the sound of shouts and angry voices echoed around her. Emma stiffened but remained against the bars, watching calmly as a mob of thirty or so people filled the tiny station.
"District Attorney Spencer…what can I do for you?" she asked, a smug smile on her lips.
"Where is she?" he growled through clenched teeth.
"Oh, she's safe…far away from where you'll ever reach her."
"She's safe? We're the ones who are in danger from her! And your father, the prince, is protecting her. She killed a man…we want justice!" he demanded angrily. The crowd cheered behind him and Emma pushed off the bars, standing defiantly before the king.
"Well, when I find whoever really killed him, justice will be done. But it wasn't Ruby…" there was no mistaking the accusation that laced her words as Emma locked eyes with his. He remained perfectly calm, smug, as he glared back at her.
"However," Emma said louder addressing the crowd, never taking her eyes off Spencer. "I understand that all of you are frightened, so in an attempt to make you feel safe you can all pile into these three cells and stay the night. I'll take your mug shots one by one." An oppressive silence fell over the room at her words.
"On what charges?" shouted an angry man in the crowd.
"Breaking and entering into the Sheriff's station for one; just so y'all know the front door was unlocked. Oh, and attempted murder, unless of course you were planning a town wide intervention with your baseball bats and shovels." Her eyes drifted back to the king, a murderous scowl on his face.
"And in your case Spencer, I'll be adding conspiracy to commit murder and inciting a riot to your growing list of charges." The fire burned in his eyes as a challenging smirk formed on his lips.
"You wouldn't dare…" Emma shot him a glare that clearly told him she wasn't joking.
"I wonder how the state bar will react when I send them your mug shot…" She stated glibly stepping away from him to address the crowd.
"Now, I will tell the rest of you what I told Mr. Spencer yesterday when he threatened to kill my father – you are no longer in the Enchanted Forest. I don't care what was acceptable in your world because you are in this world now, and there are rules and laws that I have every intention of upholding. Now, anyone who does not wish to be arrested has a thirty second window to leave your weapons here and walk out."
"You can't arrest all of us…" another angry voice shouted. Emma's phone vibrated against her leg, and she hoped it was David with good news that he has all the evidence they needed to arrest Spencer
"Actually, yes I can and I will. No one is in danger tonight; Ruby will be locked up and kept under close watch if we haven't figured this out by nightfall. Twenty seconds…"
She grinned triumphantly, watching as the mob dropped their weapons and slipped from the room by one by one. She took the opportunity to check her phone. It was a text from her father, telling her that he impounded the car and found Ruby's cloak and an ax in the trunk. Emma's grin widened, lifting her eyes to see the DA facing her alone, the rage clearly etched on his face.
"Looks like you lost your army…your majesty…" Emma said mockingly. But despite that the mob had disbanded, Emma feared that people might still attack Ruby on their own now that they knew what she was.
"You are too much like your father for your own good…" he spat bitterly.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Foolish girl…it would be unwise to make me an enemy." Emma had to stifle the urge to laugh in his face.
"You don't scare me. Now turn around and place your hands on your head." When he stared at her incredulously and didn't comply, Emma locked the handcuff around his wrist. By the time he realized she wasn't bluffing, she had spun him around, locking his hand in the other.
"District Attorney Spencer you are under arrest for murder, you have the right to remain –"
"I know my rights…" he shouted as Emma pushed him into a cell. She knew the handcuffs weren't really necessary to take four steps, but she wanted to ensure he didn't run. "You can't do this to me…I'm the district attorney –"
"And Regina was the Mayor. If she can lose her power and position, so can you. Now back up to the bars and I'll remove your handcuffs." Emma wished David could see the absolute shock written all his face. Yet there was still not a shred of remorse to be found. He shook his head in disbelief as he complied and Emma released his wrists. He turned sharply on his heel the moment his hands were free, gripping the bars until his knuckles were white. If looks could kill then Emma would've dropped dead where she stood, the fire raging in his eyes.
"This isn't over…" he whispered threateningly. Emma held his gaze with an incredulous stare.
"You're behind bars…yea, it's over…" She countered, "Please hand over your shoelaces, tie and belt …along with your wallet, keys and anything else you have in your pockets." The hardness in his eyes didn't fade as he fell to the cot, holding her gaze as he removed his shoelaces from his shoes. Emma retrieved an envelope from her desk as he threw them through the bars.
"Emma…" She turned to see her father entering the station, the king's face flushing an even brighter shade of crimson. "Ah, in a cage at last –"
"David…" Emma pulled him into her office, in no mood for a pissing match between the two men. She closed the door behind her, leveling her father with an incredulous stare.
"What was that about? Do you know how long I've wanted to see that man locked up?" David asked in a huff of annoyance.
"There's no need to gloat, he's in a bad enough mood as it is and the last thing we need is him saying this is a personal vendetta." Emma chided harshly. David sighed heavily, nodding in understanding. "Now, did you take the ax to the hospital for testing?"
"I did and I dropped off Ruby's cloak. She said she was gonna stay at Belle's a little longer."
"Alright, um, I'm gonna fill out some paperwork and wait for those test results so we can book him officially."
"I can do it, why don't you head home and rest up before dinner…" David suggested softly.
"Are you implying that I can't do paperwork?" she asked teasingly.
"I'm implying that you look pale and exhausted. I wasn't gonna say anything cause I know it's been a long and trying day, but go…I can handle this. I promise I will be on my best behavior…" Emma stared skeptically at her father, not sure she should trust him, but she was exhausted and the idea of sleep was entirely too enticing.
"Fine, I'll go, after I fill all this out." She said with a wry smile. David nodded as Emma walked back to the cell, retrieving all the items Spencer had thrown on the floor. He avoided eye contact, staring at the wall straight ahead of him. She felt strange leaving in the middle of all this, but they couldn't do much until the test results came back anyway. It gave her a few hours to relax and mentally prepare herself for the night ahead. Placing the envelope in her desk, she typed up her reports as David stared obsessively at the king in his cell.