"Fine. Get your coat. We're here."
The blonde's tone is disconcertingly devoid of emotion, and when the Mayor turns to face her, the younger woman's mouth is set in that familiar hard line the brunette decides she will always hate. Nodding- and, despite everything, feeling a small sense of frustration when she realizes that, yet again, Emma is calling the shots- she plucks her suit jacket from the back seat and slips gracefully from the car.
"Emma!"
An indignant whisper as the Sheriff slams her door shut with little consideration of the task at hand. Green eyes flickering up to meet brown as the younger woman pulls her long hair out of the back of her leather jacket, Regina frowns as the blonde simply shrugs. When she speaks however, Emma's tone is low and kind.
"It's not like we're on the down low, Regina... If he didn't hear that, then he's gonna hear that little bell above the damn door..."
"...We're not going to try enter a little more stealthily?"
"Why? I want to talk to him, not sneak up on him."
"My dear, the thought of you 'sneaking up' on anyone is laughable..."
"And here I always thought you'd be such a tough crowd..."
The Sheriff winks. It is an oddly nervous gesture, but still one for which the brunette is thankful. Pulling on her jacket and fussing her dark locks away from her face- Need to get it cut, with all that's been going on I've been letting it grow out- she offers the younger woman a wry smile and proceeds to take the lead towards Gold's shop, Emma at her heels.
"He's not here..."
"I can see that."
The brunette's tone is irritable as she snaps back at the Sheriff, but Emma pays this no mind, simply scanning the eclectic array of junk once again. She has already checked the back of the shop, as well as the small bathroom- ignoring Regina's plea that she wait for her so that they might do so together for safety- to no avail.
"You don't think that for whatever reason, he didn't get his powers back and he's still up in that apartment, do you?"
"Not a chance."
"But, what if-"
"-Even if you were right- which you're not- and Rumpelstiltskin remained devoid of power, Gold is perhaps the only other person I could imagine going to similar lengths as you yourself went to when restrained in such a way to escape... It is the fault of no villain that the man walks with a limp, Miss Swan."
"But then where-"
"-Ah! I thought I could feel my ears burning!"
The little man chuckles as he appears as if from nowhere, stalking out from the deep shroud of shadow that looms in the corner. His eyes sparkle with cruel humour as he watches both women make a bizarre attempt to stand protectively in front of the other.
How delightful.
"Gold!... You're here!"
"... Observant as ever, Sheriff."
Pretty white teeth flash at him in a snarl and the pawnbroker raises his hands quickly in a sign of peace before pointing to a pair of dusty stools that rest opposite the counter.
"If you would both take a seat."
"We didn't come here to exchange pleasantries, Gold."
The brunette barks and the little man sighs, moving over to the ancient coffee machine in the corner and pressing its power button.
"Curious... I was under the impression that was precisely the reason Miss Swan was so eager to pay me a visit... Unless you two are already on different pages... But then, young love never was-"
"-Shut up. Yes, we're here to talk. "
"So talk, Sheriff."
"... What do you want?"
"Miss Swan?"
"You took me for a reason... What was it?"
"Well, if you had spent less time fussing quite so foolishly, you would perhaps remember me explaining a little about your role."
The Sheriff opens her mouth to unleash whatever venom the pawn broker's comment garners, but the Mayor stills her swiftly, leaning forward on her stool and regarding Gold dangerously.
"You would do well to watch yourself, Rumple..."
Eyes darting about the brunette's fine features, Gold hesitates for a moment before leaning back in his chair and turning to the blonde, offering her a curt nod.
"Yes, you're right. My apologies, Emma... I'm pleased to see your injuries have been suitably taken care of. As I told you at the time; I can only apologise that things went the way they did. Your ill health was never my intention... Alas, if only such a recovery were possible for poor master Jefferson..."
The pawnbroker raises an eyebrow as a series of complicated emotions cross the younger woman's face, and Regina speaks up swiftly to break the chilling silence Gold's words garner.
Now's not the time, dear. I realize with all that's happened there are things you have yet to think on, but please, Emma, not now.
"Tell us what you want, Gold."
"From you, dearie, I want nothing but the civility to allow me to get on with my business... Miss Swan... I wish to show you something."
The little man rises from his high-backed chair, and for a bizarre moment, the the blonde imagines he plans to remove his suit pants, but he simply locates a small, silver key from the depths of his pockets and makes his way over to an ornate display cabinet looming behind him. Pulling a large, curious item from its depths, he brings it back to the table and places it in front of the Sheriff before glancing up at his guests and inquiring politely
"Coffee?"
The blonde shakes her head distractedly, green eyes fixed on the heavy fabric that covers whatever object lies beneath. Regina purses her lips and offers him a cold glower.
"Just get on with it..."
Shooting the coffee maker a wistful glance, Gold resumes his seat with a sigh, dark eyes trained on Emma as he pulls the fabric cover off of the object on the desk with a flourish.
"...A globe?"
The little man smirks, but it is not an entirely cruel reaction. The blonde's response is so perfectly, well, Emma, in its long-suffering delivery it tickles him; never quite able to shake the odd sense of amusement the Sheriff instills in him. He can almost hear her carrying on with 'big whoop, it doesn't even have any countries on it' or something similarly inane, but imagines that Regina's close presence has the younger woman minding herself a little more than he is used to.
"What is that?"
"Why, dearie, young Emma just told you! I-"
"-Gold!"
The brunette's rage is tangible and the Sheriff lets out a nervous hum as the lights flicker ominously, subconsciously shrinking a little closer to the Mayor as she regards the heavy chandelier above them with wide eyes.
"... It's a globe, as Miss Swan so rightly pointed out-"
"-I'm warning you-"
"-But it is a special globe... Its use is not to tell of lands to be explored, but to find what has been lost to the one who uses it..."
"Kind of just looks like a weird, white ball if you ask me..."
"... You are able to put up with this, Your Majesty?"
Gold looks up at the Mayor with a raised brow, smirking as the Sheriff glares at him irritably. Waving her hand lazily in a bid the pawnbroker continue, Regina serves him a severe warning glance.
"It is only white, Miss Swan, due to the fact that it has not been told for whom- or what- to search... Without such information, how would such an object even know what land to display?"
"Uh..."
Emma glances uncertainly over to the brunette- as though looking for a hint as to how to answer- but the Mayor simply continues to keep her critical gaze trained on Gold, whose disdainful arrogance softens slightly as the Sheriff continues to struggle for an answer she has no way of knowing.
"What I want from you is simple, Emma... And I believe Mayor Mills may have some clue as to what it might be as well, for am I not correct in thinking you studied Henry's book during Miss Swan's absence, Regina?"
"How did you-"
"-How did I know? Simple... And rather boring, I'm afraid... Through no use of magic, of course, but simple logic. You wanted Miss Swan back and you knew I was at fault in her disappearance... Knowing who I am, you would have been foolish to ignore what you have been trying so desperately hard to hide..."
"You created the curse for yourself... To find your son... Correct?"
"Hmm... Mostly, yes. I will not pretend that it was not a largely selfish endeavour. But I did give you what you wanted, and let's not forget that."
"You coerced me into wanting it-"
"-I did no such thing! My dear, I realise it must be rather awkward to find yourself in a relationship in which you have attempted to murder your girlfriend's mother on numerous occasions, but trust me, I'm just as surprised at your choice in partner as you are!"
Regina snarls at the little man furiously, although, somewhere in the back of her mind she cringes as she suspects the part of Gold's statement the woman beside her is going to have most issue with is the term 'girlfriend'. To her surprise, Emma proceeds to clear her throat pointedly and address the pawnbroker impatiently.
"Well, I don't know what you want me to do about whatever was in that book... It says you let your son get sucked into some fucking whirlpool in the ground... What am I supposed to do about it?"
"True, Bae was... 'Sucked into another world', if that's how you want to word it... This world. A land without magic."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because this is the only land of the sort."
"Okay... Still don't get where I come into all this..."
"You're going to find him."
"Wait, what? How the hell am I supposed to do that?! How would I know where your kid's gone better than you do?"
Raising an eyebrow and glancing pointedly towards to empty globe resting on the table, Gold smirks as green eyes roll irritably.
"You have already paid a small part of your debt to me without even realising it, Miss Swan. With the curse broken, and magic available once more, the use of the globe is once more possible... Watch."
Lifting his finger and placing it at the very tip of the globe's axis, he maintains eye contact with the younger woman as he presses down; piercing the fleshy pad almost down to the bone before withdrawing his hand slowly, blood beading lazily at the whorls of his fingertip. Hovering his hand over the sphere's surface, the three of them watch as a single drop of blood falls gracefully to mar pure white.
"You couldn't have done that before...?"
But the blonde stills as her eyes widen, watching as the spilt blood seems to ebb and flow until, little by little, the globe holds a recognizable shape.
"Shit..."
Turning to the Queen, Emma regards her with naked shock, as though questioning whether the brunette sees such sorcery also; still unable to quite get a handle on the absurdity of it all. Offering the blonde a small nod, Regina frowns as she notes a peculiar speck of movement on the otherwise static map.
"Where's that?"
"...New York..."
The Sheriff mutters; accosted by the peculiar knowledge that her companions have little clue as to what lies outside of Storybrooke. She suddenly understands why Gold requires her cooperation.
"Gold... It's a big city- the 'big city'- I don't... I don't know how you imagine I'd find some guy out of the millions of others."
"I was under the impression that finding people is what you do, Miss Swan."
"Well, sure... Marks. Perps. Guys I get briefed on... No offence, but the kid was, well, a kid when you lost him, so you won't know all that much about who he'd be now... Kind of hard to track someone you know nothing about..."
"Then I suggest you get started as soon as possible, dearie... You will find my son... You must."
"Gold, I-"
"-Enough. There is no need for argument, Emma; a deal is a deal. You will do this for me, and that's the end of it... We leave tonight."
"Wait, you're going too!?"
The brunette interjects fiercely, her eyes dark and her teeth exposed.
"Well, I wouldn't send the girl off into the sunset alone, Regina. While I know nothing of this New York, I imagine having Miss Swan traipsing the streets all by herself is hardly the most sensible of options. I will-"
"-Then I'm going with her."
"... You?"
"Regina-"
"-Yes, me, and don't 'Regina' me, Emma, out of Gold and I, I currently hold the track record for the person who hasn't kidnapped you and caused you severe injury... I'm coming with you."
"But... What about Henry? We can't bring the kid... We have no idea what we're getting into!"
"Well... Of the two of you, it is yourself that is bound to get herself into trouble.. Storybrooke is safe... Sydney will be able to-"
"-No. Not Sydney. Mary Margaret-"
"-Absolutely not-"
"-Yes. Or I go alone."
"... You're not going alone."
"Then it's settled."
Dark eyes regard green with a scowl and the pawnbroker smirks to himself; wondering if the two women have any idea how absurd their little argument is to any excluded from their own little world.
The Evil Queen. The Savior.
Odd.
But there is a certain poetry to it.
This may well be a blessing in disguise.