By the time Emma was done with the crime scene, she was ready to pass out. David's face told many tales of surprise and sadness, but none of guilt. Sydney, always nosey, was at the crime scene - which really wasn't a crime scene yet - even though he wasn't a reporter any more. Just when she thought she would be able to ditch him after he promised to get her the listing of recent phone calls, he popped back into the equation with a 'tell me what you find'. It had been a long night and she needed coffee stat.
The afternoon crowd at Granny's was the same as always when she got there. The booth in the back was open, so she walked over to take it. She didn't originally plan to stay long, but she needed a break. She could stay for maybe thirty minutes before heading back to work. Nobody could fault her for that.
"What can I getcha?" Ruby asked enthusiastically with her red capped pen and notepad ready.
"Just my usual coffee and a blueberry muffin," Emma sighed as she rubbed her eyes.
"Okay," the waitress chirped, but she stayed there.
"Yes?" Emma asked in an aggravated tone, though Ruby didn't seem to notice.
Instead, she seemed to take it as a que to sit down. Happily sliding onto the vinyl seat across from Emma, she grinned broadly. Her smile was all teeth and lipstick as she raised her eyebrows expectantly at the sheriff. The curious expression on the scantily clad waitress made Emma want to run, but she stayed seated, fidgeting under Ruby's intense gaze.
"So. . . what's up with you and Mr. Gold?" Ruby's eyebrows bobbed suggestively.
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked tiredly.
"I'm talking about the flirting! And eating breakfast together!" Ruby squealed.
Emma swore the girl was about to launch across the table and grab her hands. Ruby was practically hovering with excitement and caged energy. The sheriff could see it now: her, Ruby, and Mary all sitting in a circle, braiding each others' hair and gossiping about boys and Regina. Emma shook her head and scrunched her nose, which Ruby seemed to take as rejection of her accusation.
"I saw it," Ruby stated matter-of-factly, while neither of them noticed the diner go quiet.
"We weren't flirting. I was annoying him," Emma crossed her arms.
"Oh, really? Well, I've never seen him smile so much! He must have been really annoyed," Ruby smiled.
"He wasn't smiling! He was doing that weird half smirk, know it all thing that clearly says 'I'm a-'"
"I would really hate for you to finish that sentence, Miss Swan. I feel it might damage our relationship," said a level voice from behind the sheriff, making her jump.
Without turning around, Emma shooed Ruby away and said, "We don't have a relationship, Gold."
"Oh, you wound me, dearie. Here I thought we were becoming friends," Gold gracefully slid into the space Ruby had vacated and placed his cane near the wall.
"That's what you got out of yesterday?" Emma stared at him skeptically.
"That is what I got out of the fact you have not punched me yet," Gold corrected.
"If I punch you, will you go away?"
"Unlikely."
Emma was half tempted to try anyways while he picked up his menu, but she decided against it. He sat there, calmly staring at the menu while she boiled in her seat. She realized with a jolt, this was what she did to him only a day previous. He was playing her game.
"I'm going to ask you questions if you sit here," Emma warned.
"Fire away, my dear," Gold waved Ruby back over.
Emma thought of her question as the waitress took his order of tea in a to-go cup. She thought it was odd he drank tea. Perhaps that's what he had been drinking the day before. She hadn't seen anyone else in the whole town drink tea, just him. It struck her as odd. Now that she thought about it, everyone got coffee every day, at the same time.
"Is this town cursed?" Emma asked hesitantly.
It wasn't like she really believed it could be cursed, but it got Gold to stop abruptly and look up with a gleam in his eyes. He seemed to think for a moment before making a decision.
"Do you really want an answer to that?" Gold narrowed his eyes.
Emma thought for a moment and nodded as a slow smile spread across his face. He let his gold tooth show for a moment before answering.
"Yes," Gold said evenly.
"You're insane," Emma said incredulously.
"Beside the point," he sighed.
"Are you being serious?" Emma huffed.
"Do you want an answer to that?" Gold leveled her with a glare.
Emma bit her lip as she pondered his question. He was insane. Or maybe he was just joking with her. She had Kathryn, David, Regina, and Mary Margaret to worry about, she didn't need Gold too.
"No, I suppose I don't," Emma sighed.
"Having a bad day?" Gold asked softly as Ruby brought him his cup.
"Why do you drink your tea from a to-go cup?" Emma scrutinized the plastic lid.
"Oh, we're still playing that game," Gold smirked, "I just like these more than the mugs. I can leave at any time without worry, and the tea shan't spill on me."
"Hmm. Yes, bad night actually," Emma nodded sadly as she sipped her coffee.
She took a big bite out of her muffin and frowned at her empty cup. She needed five more cups of coffee before she could be considered more alive than a zombie. When she looked up at Gold, he had an understanding, and almost tender, smile gracing his lips. Though it was quickly replaced with a taunting smirk, just for a second, Emma felt like he understood. At the moment, Emma had a kid who depended on her, one friend, someone fighting tooth and nail against her, and the surrounding crowd of people who always chose an unclear side. It felt like it was the world against her, and maybe, just maybe, he knew what that felt like too. That would be ridiculous though. The world was against him, or at least Storybrooke was, and he just let it slide off his shoulders.
"Miss Lucas, could we get the sheriff chocolate with cinnamon?" Mr. Gold asked, though it was a clear order.
The waitress scurried off to do as she was told. Emma just stared at him angrily. He was always so annoying, just assuming what she wanted. Though, it did sound good; but she would never admit that.
"I don't have that much money, and everything here is expensive. It's almost rent day, and you're a grumpy old dragon that guards his treasure by milking the money from everyone in town!" Emma complained.
"Relax, Miss Swan, I'm being a voluntary gentleman this time and paying," he smiled behind his tea while he took another small sip.
Emma just stared at him. He never made sense. Was he on her side, or against her? Was he an arse, or a gentleman? Did he drink tea, or coffee?
"What happened last night to make it so tedious?" Gold asked curiously.
She really didn't want to talk about it, so she just indifferently asked, "Did you ever have a child?"
She only meant to divert his question, but she immediately felt horrible. With one question, the most infamous, hated man in Storybrooke fell. His face became shadowed and he seemed to fold in on himself. His eyes looked nearly black while he clenched his jaw and held his mouth in the straightest line she had ever seen. In a flash, though, his face was impassive and nonchalant once again. Calm, collected Mr. Gold who had no emotions and fit into everyone's description of a monster.
"When did you start making deals?" Emma tried again.
"How old were you during your first kiss?" Gold asked with a smirk.
Emma nodded to him. She would answer that rather personal question, despite how odd it was. Why would he want to know these things?
"Many, many. . . decades ago, soon after I first gained enough power to be feared," Gold looked like he was trying to phrase it in a logical way.
Emma watched him as he thought over his sentence. The way he paused before 'decades' made her want to shout "lie", but he seemed to be telling the truth, just not the whole truth.
"I was seventeen. He was my first boyfriend," Emma scowled as Ruby set the hot chocolate down on the table.
A sudden thought struck Emma. Who did Mr. Gold kiss? She had never seen him with a woman - or a man - as long as she had been in town. She made a metal note to ask Ruby later.
"Have you ever slept with Regina?" Emma blurted.
"Oh, hell no!" Gold seemed offended.
"That's the first time I've heard you cuss," she observed.
"'Hell' is not an expletive, it is a destination," he corrected.
"Whatever," Emma mumbled.
"What was your major in college?" Gold asked.
"I-I didn't go to college," Emma's face turned bright red, but she didn't break eye contact.
"Don't feel embarrassed, my dear, I did not attend college either," his lip twitched up in an almost-smile.
"What?!" Emma couldn't believe that. He was rich after all!
"You heard exactly what I said, dearie," he frowned at her reaction.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. He only used 'dearie' when he was defensive or distant. She figured she had been covering ground when he started using 'my dear' instead. What was she trying to make ground on anyway? Nothing, that's what.
"How many times have you been in love?" Gold raised an eyebrow.
"Ditto, Weaver," Emma used his name, just to be annoying.
Ignoring her jab, though, he instead furrowed his brow in confusion. She just stared at him as he tilted his head, seemingly to think about something. He looked like he was searching for something important as he stared at the table.
"Ditto?" Gold repeated questioningly.
"It means, like. . . that I'm saying the same thing," Emma clarified while giving him a weird look.
"They have such odd sayings here," he mumbled to himself.
"Excuse me?" Emma asked, though she heard what he said.
"Nothing of importance," Gold shook his head.
He looked at her questioningly, waiting for her to answer the question. She felt more like what he meant to say was 'Have you ever been in love?' instead of the number of times. He seemed far too interested in her personal life; but he was willing to answer the same thing.
"Just once," Emma whispered wistfully.
"I have been in love thrice," Gold smiled sadly, with so much longing and sadness.
"You've been in love?" Emma asked incredulously.
"Is it really so hard to believe that I once had a heart to gift to another?" he frowned in inquiration.
"A little, yah," she answered, almost sheepishly.
"Hmm," was the only response she got.
She looked up at the clock and groaned. Her thirty minutes were up. Emma found it surprising that she was actually. . . mildly disappointed, to be out of Gold's presence. She had to go back to work, though. Or maybe she could stay, five more minutes?
"Well, Miss Swan, it has been a pleasure, but I must go. Have a grand day," Gold smiled.
As he got up, he dropped something on the table before he turned and left. He had given her a newspaper and left a few tens on the table. She folded the newspaper over to read it, though there probably wasn't anything interesting. Just then, the bell rang again, and Mary Margaret walked in. Emma was only half paying attention to the Miner's Day speech, or whatever it was, but when Leroy bumped into Mary, the woman seemed almost in tears. When the schoolteacher left the building, Emma threw the newspaper down and followed her friend. It was going to be a long day.