Realm of Shadows
Summary: As Emma repays the favour owed to Mr. Gold it becomes the key to unlocking many things in Storybrooke.
Pairings:Emma/Regina
Disclaimers: I do not own OUaT or any of its characters. I do, however, like to take them out of their boxes and play with them.
A/N: It's been awhile since I've written fan fiction, so any comments that help me become a better writer are always welcomed.
Thanks, as always, to Pesterfield, my grammar guru who catches my errors.
Chapter Thirty-four
Emma had given Baelfire a hand drawn map to Storybrooke before she got in her yellow VW and followed him through town. "Your GPS is useless once you get close to the town; it doesn't show up on it or on any official map."
"Of course it doesn't." He said understandingly.
They picked up his son, Paul, as Bae's ex-wife eyed Emma suspiciously through the front door screen. Emma cheerfully waved at the woman, hoping to put to rest any concerns the red-head was having about a younger blonde following her son and former husband. The woman finally waved back, but didn't smile.
Emma took advantage of the quiet drive to recall the conversation she and Mr. Gold's son had about his memories of Storybrooke; they were, she realized, the remembrances of a boy. Like Henry, they were all seen in a filtered lens of good versus evil, love against hate, and shades of black and white. The gray subtleties of life that would come with age and experience eluded the young boy.
But now that young boy was a middle-aged man; one who had lived the majority of his life in this land. Emma wondered how his life here had turned out the way it did; divorced, one child, living in a small town in New Hampshire. It seemed that financially and professionally he did alright; she had glanced at the stack of mail that lay on his kitchen table and noted that a few of the letters were addressed to Baelfire R. Gold, Attorney-at-law. A lawyer, like his father. She also wondered if he had chosen the surname, or if it was just his name when he arrived in this land.
As they continued their drive, she glanced at the plastic sack on the passenger seat; they had made one stop in town, at her request, so she could anonymously pick up four disposable phones. A safe way to talk without being overheard by Mr. Gold. She thought as they drove east, leaving the sunset in their rearview mirrors.
Henry remained on the bench long after he had warned Regina that Mr. Gold had left his shop; he was hopeful that she had heeded his advice and was safely hidden. Watching the sunset, he realized that soon it would be dark and he needed to get back to Snow's house.
"Hello, Henry." The shopkeeper's voice startled him.
"M..Mr. Gold." He stammered as the man sat beside him on the bench.
"Bit late for you to be out alone, isn't it?" The slight man cocked his head and studied the Mayor's son. Time to help me find your mommy.
Henry quickly concocted a story to convince the storekeeper that he was stranded. "My mom was supposed to pick me up at five o'clock. But she didn't show up; I stayed here so I wouldn't get in trouble with her."
"Ah." Damn. The man smoothly replied. "And you can't reach her on the radio?" He nodded at the walkie talkie in the boy's hands.
Henry sighed. "No, the radio was so I could reach Emma; but she hasn't answered since this morning and I don't know where she is." At least that part is true.
"What about calling your mom on a telephone? Surely she has her cell phone with her?" Mr. Gold inquired.
"Tried that." Henry lied matter-of-factly. "No answer."
"I see." Where are you hiding Regina? "Well, how about I drive you home then? Surely your mother doesn't want you alone, outside, after dark."
Henry frowned, but then brightened. "Hey, I know. How about you take me to Emma's? That way if she's there, she'll take care of me; and if she's not, then Miss Blanchard can call my mom?"
"Alright then, let's do that." Mr. Gold agreed as he stood and walked with the boy to his car. If Emma's gone, then perhaps she really can bring my Bae home.
They drove the short distance to Emma's apartment, but the VW wasn't in the driveway. "It's okay." Henry assured the man. "I'll just stay here with Miss Blanchard till my mom comes and gets me."
"Good night then, Henry." Mr. Gold bade him farewell. He waited until the boy reached the door and the teacher answered, letting him in, before driving off into the darkness.
Henry quickly closed the door behind him and peered out of the window to make sure the shopkeeper would drive away. Once he was certain that Mr. Gold was gone he let out a long breath and smiled at Snow. "Have you heard from either of my moms?" He asked hopefully.
Snow shook her head as she returned to the kitchen to finish making a salad. "No, last I heard Emma was heading to find Baelfire, but she thought she would be back late tonight. And, as far as I know, Regina is in hiding. She wouldn't tell me exactly where, but I'm sure she'll be fine." She reassured her grandson.
"Yeah." He looked out the window into the darkness. "I hope so."
Regina had been keeping the darkness in the bolt hole at bay with the two lanterns that Rose had provided. She glanced at her watch again, but only fifteen minutes had passed since the last time she had looked. She sighed; bored, but not afraid. At least that's a good sign. She thought as she realized she would be locked in the cellar for up to two more days. She was just about to pick her supper from the three cans of soup when she heard a noise at the door of the bolt hole. She pressed her body up against a wall, hiding in the shadows, and waited. This time the noise was distinct; two taps followed by one tap. Rose.
Regina quickly ascended the ladder and tapped the key against the lid. She heard the gear grind and the click of the lock as it opened. Pushing up on the hatch, she felt the weight lifted as Rose helped open the lid. She poked her head out of the opening and took a deep breath of fresh air. The scent of roasted chicken overwhelmed her senses and she heard her stomach growl at the smell. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness inside the shed.
"Its all clear, Regina; at least for a few minutes. Henry just called me and told me Mr. Gold dropped him off at Emma's apartment. Even if he drove straight here, it would take him fifteen minutes."
Regina felt the plastic bag, warm with a plastic container inside, that Rose passed to her. "I thought you might like something besides soup for supper." The healer remarked. "And here…" She passed Regina another, heavier plastic bag. "To keep you busy while you're down there." Regina smelled the distinct scent of lavender, sage and sandalwood.
"Thank you." Regina's voice wavered. "Is Henry alright then?"
"Oh my, yes; he is spending the night with Snow, at least till Emma comes back. And I've called my friend Ryker; he's agreed to keep an eye on your house tonight in case Mr. Gold gets any nasty ideas."
Regina smiled, remembering Ryker as a former renegade in her kingdom; a 'sword for hire' if you needed a dirty job done. He'll have no trouble taking care of Mr. Gold if he starts trouble. "Then thank you again, Rose."
"You're welcome, love. Stay safe tonight and I'll be sure to visit you again tomorrow, if I can." She handed the weight of the door to Regina and watched as it closed, once again locking the Mayor inside.
The two cars drove past the Welcome to Storybrooke sign in the middle of the night. Emma passed Bae's car and waved for him to follow her into town. She navigated the streets of the town until she pulled up in front her apartment. He pulled up behind her and shut off his engine. So this is it?
"Can I carry anything for you?" Emma asked him as he carefully removed the sleeping boy from the back seat.
"Um, sure if you don't mind; my duffle bag is in the trunk." He looked around in the darkness at the silhouette of trees in the moonlight and wondered if his father was lurking in them. He shook off the thought as he heard the blonde clear her throat before they walked up the short path to the door.
"Emma!" Henry opened the door after peering through the window.
"Hey kid, Hi Mary Margaret." They'd agreed it would be best to use their Storybrooke names in front of Baelfire; they couldn't afford to have him tip off Rumplestiltskin that they were aware of their true identities.
"You must be Baelfire." Mary Margaret greeted the tall, wiry man. "Please, come in." She showed him to a couch where he gently laid down his sleeping son. "I'm afraid my place isn't very big, but it's the safest place for you tonight."
"My father?" He asked hesitantly.
"Will be very excited to see you; but, it's best if you wait till morning." The teacher contended. "There's a bedroom upstairs, a bathroom too, for you and your son."
Emma gave her a dirty look behind Baelfire's back. You gave away my room?
Mary Margaret just smiled at her daughter and innocently shrugged.
"That's great, thank you Miss Blanchard." Baelfire picked up his duffle bag.
"Oh, please, call me Mary Margaret. And if you're hungry, I have plenty of food for everyone." She gave her most innocent smile.
"Again, I'm indebted to you, Mary Margaret. Let me just put my son to bed and my things away; I'll be back down soon." He shifted his bag over his shoulder and picked his son back up. The women and Henry watched as he trudged up the staircase to the bedroom.
As soon as they heard the door shut, Henry whispered. "You did it! You found him and brought him back to Storybrooke."
Emma smiled at her son and scruffed his hair. "Seems we both have a talent for finding people."
He returned, as promised, and the foursome filled their meal with questions, stories and laughter. Once everything was cleaned up and Mary Margaret had persuaded Henry to go take a bath, Emma and Baelfire sat alone in the small living room.
"So, Emma, I think I at least deserve one truthful answer from you." He began.
"Everything I've told you has been truthful." She countered.
"Yeah, okay, but I need to know one thing; how much did my father pay you to find me and bring me back." He asked as he took a swallow of his beer.
"No money; rather I made a deal with him. This is my part of the deal, to bring you and another person he loves back to him." She thought of Belle and how she would reunite them all together.
"And his part of this deal?" He pressed.
"He has a power over my…ex…that I want to possess. He's agreed to give it to me in exchange." Her thoughts went to Regina and she sent a silent prayer, to any god that would listen, for Regina's safety.
"Give it to you or share it with you? He can be a sly deal maker; I should know." There was a twinge of sorrow in his voice.
"Give it, I made sure of that. And Regina taught me how to write an agreement that would be honored here; even if it came from the other realm."
"Well then…" He drained his beer in one long draw. "May you find what you are looking for. But, I must warn you that all magic comes with a price."
She considered his warning; one she had heard a dozen times during her stay in Storybrooke. "The price will be worth it, at least to me."
"Then I bid you goodnight, Emma. I'll see you in the morning." He stood to leave; she did too.
"Baelfire…thank you; for coming, for your advice, for agreeing to see your father…." Her words drifted into a long silence between them.
He finally filled it. "Like you said, it's been a long time."
Morning broke with a sunrise streaked in reds and oranges over the ocean bordering Storybrooke. Emma was there to view it; sitting on a rocky outcrop on the beach and wondering if there were such beautiful things in the new realm. Guess I'll find out soon enough. She waited until the colors had faded and the sun had risen like a golden orb into the morning sky.
She drove back to her apartment, pleased to find that Bae's car was still parked where he left it the night before.
"You're up early." Mary Margaret greeted the blonde as she came into the house. "Coffee?"
Emma took the proffered mug of steaming black liquid. "Thanks." She nodded towards the staircase. "They still asleep?"
"Mhmm, though I heard the shower running a few minutes ago, so it could be Baelfire's up." The teacher sipped on her hot coffee.
"Well, then, can I ask your advice?" She asked the brunette.
"Of course, what is it?" Mary Margaret cocked her head and studied Emma. The blonde usually wasn't one to ask for help or advice.
"Alright, so how should I do this? I mean do I just waltz in to his shop and say 'Hey Mr. Gold here is your son and grandson'; or should I bring Belle along at the same time? I think it's only fair to Baelfire and his son that they have a reunion alone with him, but…" Mary Margaret's hand touched Emma's arm, stilling the blonde.
"Emma, if it were me, which it's not, but if it were, I would give Baelfire and Paul the chance to spend some time alone with Mr. Gold. It's been a long time since they've seen each other; I'm sure they're both nervous and need a bit of time to smooth things over. In the meantime, you can leave them and go find Belle. Once you find her, bring her here; let Mr. Gold know you have her and let him decide when he's ready to reunite with her."
"But Regina is…" Emma began before the teacher cut her off.
"Not going anywhere." Mary Margaret shot her a warning look. "When Mr. Gold gives you the power over the Mayor, you will have plenty of time to use it as you like. Until then, be patient; give Gold the time he needs. No good will come from pressuring him."
"Mary Margaret is right." Neither of the women had noticed Baelfire come downstairs and join them. "My father doesn't respond well to being rushed; never has, never will." He sat down at the table next to Emma as he spoke. "Is that coffee I smell?"
"Absolutely." Mary Margaret quickly recovered from the surprise and wondered how much of their conversation he had overheard. At least we didn't give Regina away. She found another mug and filled it. "Cream or sugar?"
"Just black, please." He eyed the mug. "I think I'm going to need a few cups to be ready for today."
"How did you and Paul sleep?" Emma joined in with the pleasantries.
"Very well, thank you; Storybrooke is a quiet place." He mused.
"You have no idea." Emma shook her head and laughed. "Your return is going to be the biggest thing that's happened in months."
"Well, what was so big that happened months ago?"
"I came to town."