I was really hoping to finish this before the finale, because all spoilers indicate that Episode 22 going to blow a lot of theories out of the water. Doubt I can make it, but might as well try. Is it worth it? Let me know if you think this story is worth finishing!
"Emma?" said Rose hesitantly one afternoon. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure," said Emma, her heart sinking. She had a feeling she knew what was coming, and she honestly wasn't sure how to handle it. After the birthday party, Emma had taken to dropping in at the pawn shop more frequently, always with some excuse or bit of news to share. When she did, she watched the two surreptitiously. Mr. Gold seemed more distant than before; he frequently left Rose to watch the counter alone while he worked in his back room, and when he was out front he politely resisted her attempts to draw him into conversation. More and more, he became as aloof with her as he was with everyone else. Although the girl tried to act as if nothing was wrong, she was clearly hurt by his rebuffs, and eventually began to maintain a tight-lipped silence at his approach.
Emma was pretty sure that something had happened the evening of Rose's birthday. She knew better than to pry; everyone was entitled to a private life. But she knew that things couldn't remain as they were. The tension in the shop was palpable, and Rose had begun to lose her sunny disposition.
Emma and Rose sat down on a bench outside the shop. "Go ahead, kiddo," Emma said easily. "What's on your mind?"
"I need your advice," Rose confessed. "Do you remember my birthday? Well, I didn't mean to, but….I think I made a mistake." When she saw Emma's expression, her face colored, and she shook her head vigorously. "No, not what you're thinking!" she protested. Rose was naïve, but she wasn't dumb, and she had heard Ashley's story and Emma's cautionary tale enough times to know what those raised eyebrows meant. "It's not like that." Haltingly, she told Emma about her flirtation and the resulting tension, which Emma pretended she had not noticed; no sense in making the girl feel worse. "I was silly is all, and now he doesn't want me anymore. Working at the store, I mean," she finished hastily.
You wanna bet? thought Emma.
She looked at the young girl's downcast face and realized that she didn't really have a choice. Thanks to Regina, she was the "guardian," the responsible adult. She leaned forward.
"Listen, let's just tell him that you need some girl time," Emma said. "Mary Margaret and I will be glad to have you, and you can stay for as long as you need. If he wants to know why you can't work anymore, tell him that I wanted you to take some time off. He won't argue with me." This was completely untrue, and they both knew it. If Mr. Gold wanted something, no one would stand in his way, least of all the upstart sheriff.
"You really wouldn't mind?" Rose asked. "I used to feel like I belonged here, but..." her troubled eyes sought the quiet man on the other side of the glass. Then she raised her chin defiantly. "On the other hand," she said, her tone changing, "I wouldn't like to stay where I'm not wanted. But won't I be in the way at your apartment?"
"It doesn't have to be forever," Emma reminded her. "You can always come back if you change your mind."
When they told him that Rose was leaving, Mr. Gold seemed unsurprised. He offered to help pack her things, and as he held the door while they left, his expression was a bit melancholy, but otherwise unchanged. After they left, he stood at the door for a long time. Then, slowly, he limped to the counter and opened a small hidden safe. He took out the chipped cup, which had remained locked away, unneeded, since Rose arrived. He gazed at it meditatively, turning it over in his hands. Then he placed it on its shelf out of sight beneath the cash register.