"Sheriff..."
The blonde abruptly stops making faces at Ruby- who smirks at her as she works the counter at Granny's- and looks up sharply to regard the old pawnbroker. Gold offers her a small smile, his dark eyes glittering with cruel amusement at catching the Sheriff's childish behavior. Emma tosses back her long curls irritably and waits for the man to elaborate on his greeting or leave her the hell alone.
"What do you want, Gold?"
"Want? Who said anything about wanting? I merely saw you sitting here all by yourself and decided to come say hello."
"Sure you did."
"Well, I'm sorry to find you in such a miserable mood... Are you feeling alright, dearie? You look rather ill-rested... Trouble sleeping, Miss Swan?"
"No."
"Must just be the lighting in here then."
"Must be."
"...Actually, now that I have a moment with you, I'd like to ask if you've had a chance to look over those papers I gave you?"
"I filed them. I'm sure you'll hear from your insurance company soon enough in order to receive money you're probably not actually entitled to."
"Miss Swan!"
The little man places a hand over his heart as he cries this last remark theatrically, his face a horrific interpretation of anguish. Dropping the act and sliding silkily into the seat opposite the rather disgruntled Sheriff, Gold folds his hands neatly on the table and regards her intently.
"Not those papers, Sheriff..."
"Well, those are the only papers about which I am prepared to speak to you."
"Oh?... Now that is curious..."
"I never asked you for those goddamn papers, and you have no business asking me about them now!"
"No, that is true, you never asked... You sure as hell implied your wish for help, however... I wonder why you should suddenly be so adverse to receiving it..."
"Simple. I don't trust you."
The blonde growls coldly, but Gold doesn't believe her reasoning for a second. Green eyes narrow dangerously and he imagines most would be fooled by her stony pokerface, but he doesn't miss the wary cast of her mouth or the tick at her jaw.
"Trust has nothing to do with it. Those were legitimate legal papers, I was merely playing the messenger... Surely you aren't about to let your pride stand in the way of retrieving your boy from the clutches of that awful woman... You'd let your qualms with me dominate over stopping your son from being mistreated?"
Gold chooses his words carefully, and knows instantly they have hit their mark when the Sheriff all but snarls back at him.
"She doesn't mistreat him."
No sooner are the words out of the blonde's mouth when her brow furrows, seeming suddenly to think upon her oddly adamant statement.
Curious.
"Look, Gold, it doesn't matter what you think, because it has fuck all to do with you. If I wanted to go up against Regina, then I would do so my way. There's no chance in hell I'd come to you."
If you wanted to? Past tense. Very curious.
Gold studies Emma shrewdly, his mind racing as he thinks back on the conversation which had taken place in the Mayor's office regarding the very same papers of which they speak. Regina's rage. Her sudden shock upon finding out that the blonde had had nothing to do with the damning documents found while snooping.
Not to mention how Regina had come across the papers when they had been in the Sheriff's apartment in the first place...
Raising an eyebrow and preparing to continue his vague questioning to get to the heart of the matter, the pawnbroker frowns as Ruby trots over and hands the Sheriff a coffee which Gold doubts she's even ordered; what with the cooling dregs of her last still sitting in the cup she'd originally been nursing. The young waitress leans forward- blocking his view of her face with her hair- but he imagines she is inquiring of the blonde if everything is ok. A ridiculous notion in itself. He imagines the contrary young woman sat before him would be on her deathbed before reaching out and pleading for help. Smirking, he waits for the young brunette to pull back- ignoring the icy glare she throws him; her bright eyes tinged with ill-concealed fear- and struts back to the counter with a flounce of her short skirt.
"Everything ok, Sheriff? Miss Lucas seemed a tad concerned?"
"Fine. She just doesn't like you."
"Oh, come now, Emma, at least pretend to possess a little compassion! I have done nothing wrong in the case of Miss Lucas. In the case of any of people in here in fact!"
"And yet, nobody trusts you..."
"My cross to bear I fear. You, however... Why are you so closed off all of a sudden? I have grown to look forward to your particular breed of hotheaded spunkiness, and now suddenly I am being treated with all ice and no fire. Why, I almost feel as though I was Regina..."
"Will you quit bringing the goddamn Mayor into this?!"
"Touchy subject?"
"No... Just not one I wish to discuss with you."
"I see."
Gold nods thoughtfully, continuing to study the Sheriff as she stares moodily down into her coffee. He had hoped Emma would help him sate his curiosity, but she has only served to make it grow. The fact that the blonde hadn't reacted to his query about the papers with anger that the Mayor had found out leads him to believe that Regina has yet to inform the younger woman of her discovery, and this in itself seems entirely out of character on the brunette's behalf.
No. Perhaps not. Not if Regina's way of dealing with such treachery was to act on the matter rather than argue about it. And hadn't our fine Mayor looked decidedly distressed upon learning of Miss Swan's innocence?... A mere confrontation would hardly garner such shocked remorse... I wonder, dearie, what did the sly Queen have in store for you... And why do you seem none the wiser...
"Well, Miss Swan, I can see you have little interest in discussing the matter any further. A word of warning, though: you say that I am not to be trusted, but I assure you that I am by far a better ally than the Mayor may pretend to be. Do not forget what she wants, Sheriff, which is her son to herself. Your disappearance would surely please her a great deal, and you would do well not to mistake any sudden interest in yourself for kindness. I sincerely hope you are simply keeping your friends close and your enemies closer...Particularly as you have allowed her to coerce you into such late night visits..."
The color drains from the blonde's face instantly, and she glances up at Gold with wide eyes.
"...What?"
"Oh, don't fret, dearie, your business is your own..."
He smiles. He hadn't in fact jumped to any sordid conclusion before seeing the expression that currently graces the Sheriff's pale features. The fact that Emma's car had been parked at the Mayor's so late at night had been odd, most definitely, but the idea of Regina taking her games to the point of interacting with the younger woman on a carnal level had seemed too ludicrous to pay thought. Now, though... He supposes such things would make sense, and he would be hard put to deny an odd sort of appeal to the woman sitting nervously before him, but he finds Regina's methods surprising to say the least.
Not quite so surprising as the look on her face when realising your innocence.
And again, back to that.
The way she reacted would suggest some form of punishment was already in motion. The panic in her voice... Well... If I didn't know any better, I'd say Regina had been concerned for you, Emma.
But surely the Mayor spares you no real feelings...
Curiouser and curiouser.
Standing, and pulling his coat into place, Gold grins at Emma who currently looks as though she may well pass out where she sits. He leans in a little closer to her; eyes glittering as she flinches away from him with a scowl.
"Well this is certainly a turn for the books..."
She offers him no response, but then he hadn't really expected her to. Straightening back up and heading for the door, he glances over his shoulder and remarks lightly.
"You can count your secret safe with me, Sheriff..."
"...Can I."
Low. Untrusting. Angry.
Clever girl.
"Oh, at a price, dearie, at a price."
And then the queer little man is gone and Ruby is trotting over with a concerned frown as a mug of luke warm coffee shatters loudly on the floor.