"Please, just one month."
"Sign the paper, and we have a deal."
"No way."
"Then I expect your payment on time."
"Please. Isn't there anything else?"
Granny had been trying to get an extra week to pay the rent, but Rumplestiltskin would make no deal if she didn't sign the paper. They had been negotiating, well Granny had been negotiating, for twenty minutes.
"Ms. Lucas, if you don't sign the paper, you don't get an extra week," Rumplestiltskin repeated.
"Anything but that!" Granny tried to reason.
"Good day, Ms. Lucas," he said, walking out of the dinner as Emma walked in.
"What was that about?" the Savior asked.
"I'm not signing that paper," Granny muttered, then walked away.
"Umm. . . okay?" Emma said to no one.
She walked across the diner to the last booth and sat down next to Henry and across from her parents. They engaged in easy banter and ate their breakfast like a normal family. When they left the diner, though, is when something strange happened. Before they got to the street, something that looked strangely similar to a shadow flew down to the road and flipped over a car. All the lights on the street went out and the doors all flew open. The shadow continued flipping cars over and bending light poles.
"Why is there always something attacking us?!" Emma asked over the strong winds.
"I don't know!" her mother screamed back.
Then, just as quickly as it swooped in, it flew away. The lights came on and the doors closed. The street was completely messed up with broken and bent light poles and flipped cars littering the street.
"What was that?" Henry asked.
"I know someone who can answer that question," David grumbled.
"Yah, let's go see your other mom, Henry," Emma said.
He couldn't believe it. He offered an extra week, or even an extra month, and Granny still turned him down. He had been wanting her to sign that paper for thirty years. She would give him anything except for that. He knew Red would have signed it long ago, but Granny was stubborn. It was her way of showing him that he was hated. Almost everyone in town had their own way of hating him, but her choice of punishment was especially annoying. He would usually be indifferent, but she reminded him every time. He couldn't say anything, though, because he reminded her of rent day almost every time he saw her. It was like an ongoing battle that the old woman refused to lose. He would get that paper signed, eventually. For now he would just go to his shop and think.
"What is it, Regina?" Emma asked forcefully.
"I'm not sure," Regina replied with a bit of an edge.
"It was a floating shadow monster! How many different types are there?" Emma asked.
"Hundreds!" the queen snapped angrily.
"Do you know anyone who can identify them all?" Snow White asked sweetly.
"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" she said.
"Come on. He always has his stupid price," Emma answered.
"It's just information, he can't charge too much," David reasoned.
"He probably has the thing we need to defeat it, though," Regina said.
"Do we know anyone else?" Snow asked.
"No," all three said.
"Then let's go see him!" Henry said excitedly.
The little bell jingled violently as the door slammed open and Emma, Regina, Henry, Snow White, and David charged in.
"Miss Swan, please, what have I said about the bell," Rumplestiltskin reminded.
"We need your help," Emma announced.
"Yes, that's usually why you come in here, but must you ask so violently? I'm starting to think it's just for effect," Rumplestiltskin smirked.
"Come on, Gold. We need to know about that shadow thingy and how to stop it," Emma demanded.
"What shadow?" he played dumb.
"You know which one," Emma said, walking briskly to the counter.
"That, my dear sheriff, was a Dark Sky Demon. There are multiple types of dark demons, but this particular brand is easy to defeat, if you have the right equipment," Rumplestiltskin explained.
"And I'm sure you do," Regina scowled.
"Oh, why yes. I have a uniquely enchanted sword that I do believe would do the job," Rumplestiltskin faked innocence.
"What do you want?" David snarled.
"No need to be so aggressive. I have a simple task for Snow White to complete," he smiled.
"Why me?" Snow asked curiously.
"Because, my dear, your voice is sweet and innocent and your smile practically drips honey and good intentions," the imp offered.
"What is it?" she questioned.
"I want you to make my thirty years' dream come true," Rumplestiltskin answered.
David stepped in front of his wife protectively.
"No, no, no. Nothing like that," Rumplestiltskin flapped his hand absentmindedly, "I need you to get Ms. Lucas to sign a contract."
"What contract?" Snow asked.
"This one," he held the paper out.
"What is it?"
"It matters naught."
"Is it bad?"
"Do you want the sword or not?"
"Okay, fine."
"Excellent. Get the lady to sign it, bring it back, and you may borrow my sword," Rumplestiltskin said happily. Perhaps it would be a good day.
He handed them the paper and waited.
Snow walked into Granny's and looked around for Red. The waitress was cleaning a table in the back of the restaurant.
"Hey, Red, where's Granny?" Snow asked the wolf.
"She's in the back, I'll get her," Red said.
"Okay, thank you," the princess replied.
A few seconds later, Red came out with Granny in tow.
"Hello, what did you need?" the old woman asked.
"I was hoping you could sign this paper. It's Rumplestiltskin's price for defeating the shadow," Snow explained.
"Very well, let me see," Granny aqueseised.
Snow handed the contract over. As the woman read it, her features turned sharp and angry. Nonetheless, but looking like she would tear the dealmaker limb from limb, she grabbed a pen and angrily signed at the bottom. When Granny was done, she shoved it back into Snow's grasp and stomped off into the back room. Snow shrugged and headed back to the shop.
"Rumplestiltskin, I have it," the princess laid it on the counter.
"Yes! After thirty long years! Finally!" Rumplestiltskin exclaimed with a triumphant grin.
"What did you do? Evict her?" Regina guessed.
"What? No!" he scowled, "Despite our differences, it is good food."
"Then what was it?" Emma pressed.
"None of your business," Rumplestiltskin said.
He walked towards the door in his shop and grabbed one of the three swords that was behind the shield on the wall.
"One hit and the creature is gone," Rumplestiltskin informed.
"Yes! It's gone!" Henry exclaimed when Emma hit the shadow demon.
"I'm tired. Can we get something to eat?" Emma asked.
She had just spent thirty minutes trying to hit the demon and she finally got the little monster. As soon as she did, the sword disappeared from her grip, probably going back to Rumplestiltskin's shop.
"Yeah, sure, Emma. Let's go," Davis said to Henry.
When they walked in, they saw Rumplestiltskin sitting in the booth by the window talking to Red.
"A cheese burger, please. With extra pickles if you would," he smirked.
The waitress put down his order, clenching her teeth. Granny stood not too far away clenching her fists.
"Let's sit over there," Henry suggested, pointing to the booth they had been sitting in earlier.
They talked until Red came over to take their order.
"Hey, Red. Before we order, could you answer a question?" Snow asked her friend.
"Yah, sure," she replied.
"What was the contract Granny signed?" Snow asked.
"Huhhh. We can't charge Rumplestiltskin extra for pickles," Red answered.
"Ever!" Rumplestiltskin yelled from across the dinner with a silly grin.