There is little more to be said between the three of them as the women rise from their stools and head towards the door. Gold imagines that there will be plenty the Sheriff and the Mayor will go home to discuss, but he himself cares about only one thing; Bae.
And the Swan girl will stand up to her part of the bargain and find him... He will accept nothing less.
Raising a brow when the brunette slows as they reach the dusty curtain shrouding the door, he cocks his head to the side as he watches her touch the blonde's elbow briefly, her words low but perfectly audible.
"Go wait in the car, I'll only be a minute."
"...Why?"
Wary. Curious. Childlike.
"Because I asked you to."
Oh, well, I'm sure that will go down well, given Emma's ever obedient temprement.
"And I asked you why..."
Can't argue with that, dearie...
But the Sheriff's stubborn expression- the one which serves to make her look both older and curiously infantile as it conjures up the 'I want' lines at her brow- falters after only a moment, and Emma surprises him as she simply sighs defeatedly and shrugs; grumbling something unintelligible as she stalks from the room.
Smirking to himself, Gold runs a finger pensively over the curved surface of the globe as he studies the Mayor's dark tresses.
"Well, I say, there really must be something, hmm, magical between you two, dearie! You have tamed the-"
But his words are reduced to a pained croak, as frail shoulder blades collide with the heavy cabinet behind him and an unseen force presses ruthlessly at his throat; crushing his vocal chords mercilessly.
The little man's eyes glitter in the darkness- so reminiscent of a beast's caught in a trap- as the sharp tap of expensive stilettos sounds dangerously across old wooden boards, and red lips form a familiar snarl before him.
"Another word and I'll take your tongue... Don't try me..."
Weathered cheeks flush an angry scarlet, and the brunette hisses menacingly as she increases the force emanating out into the little man; Gold's eyes bugging sickly from sunken sockets.
"Oh yes, you're the Dark One, I know, and I am nothing but your student... But that was then, Rumple... That was then and this is now... And now... You will listen to me. You will listen to me or I will personally see to it that you never lay eyes on that poor, misguided wretch of yours again... Understood?"
Dark anger in blackened eyes, but the pawnbroker gives a slight nod and the Queen continues, moving in ever closer. A vixen, a huntress; alluring, if not ready to go in for the kill.
"The only reason you're not writhing on the floor in agony this very second is because that young woman who just left would think ill of me for committing such an act... An act of justice, nevertheless!... Do you know how hard it is to comply with such a will, when you have every reason to disobey?... Of course you don't... You are alone. Selfish. You abandoned your boy like a coward, a lowlife, and your darkness is all-consuming... You couldn't understand... But, while I will do as Emma wishes of me... Know this; if it were up to me, you would be barred away to rot. Tortured, left to suffer... What you did to her, Rumple... The way I found her... You best thank whatever dark and twisted faith you adhere to that she has her mother's weakness for compassion... If it were up to me... I would have you watch as I forced your boy to endure the suffering you allowed that young woman to go through-"
"-It was never my intention-"
"-I don't care... I don't... Care... Emma might. I don't. You hurt her... And that is all I care about. You took her, and you strung her up... You may not have intended for such injuries as those obtained to her wrists, but you were careless with her... And that... I cannot allow to go unpunished."
"But, if you are to honour your word to Miss Swan, punishment is not an option..."
Gold's words are hoarse, and he massages his throat as he speaks, but he doesn't goad the brunette, he merely offers her a polite statement.
A statement which causes the Queen to smile coldly.
"Emma's wish to help you, while unwise, is very simple... You and I, of all people, should know that there is no such black and white definition as 'good and evil'. But there is such a thing as being 'fair', and, despite her many flaws and shortcomings... If there is one thing Miss Swan is, it's fair. She believes you deserve aid rather than punishment, as she is clinging on to the misguided belief- hope even- that there is some good in you.
She forgave me... To put it that way cheapens the notion in a way I find distasteful, but it is the simplest way of wording it... She forgave me, and she wishes to forgive you... To trust you... She refuses to label you as 'bad'... I find such a choice to be foolish, but I am also in a bind, as I am in no position to argue.
I will honour her wish to aid you... To allow you a chance to prove us all wrong as to your nature... But for hurting her-"
The pawnbroker cries out as a sharp, white agony shoots up his arms; his wrists feeling as though they are on fire. Thin streams of blood spill from curious lacerations in papery skin, soaking into the expensive silk of his shirt.
"-I made no such promise to forgive..."
A haze of purple and the quickening flow of crimson stills instantly; plush fabric stained a dark maroon, but weathered flesh seemingly unmarked. Letting out a low groan of lingering pain, Gold slumps slightly as he leans against the old, ornate cabinet, regarding Regina through untrusting eyes.
"Feel better, dearie?"
The bitterness to his tone does little to mask the uncharacteristic discomfort lacing his words... Dark One or not... In this new world things are different, and there is an odd question of hierarchy between himself and the Queen which he is cautious to test while the stakes are stacked so painfully high.
"A little... But I didn't stay behind to watch you bleed, Gold, much as I might like to. I stayed to warn you, so you best listen... You best listen, because just as you took something from me, I once took something from you... And I promise that you will want this 'treasure' back, and you will want it back in better condition than I found mine... I don't owe you such courtesy of course... But, Miss Swan's peculiar way of seeing things has left me questioning certain methods and practices... So I will refrain from stooping to such despicable forms of retribution and leave your treasure untainted for now... But I will tell you this: You so much as touch Emma again... And I will destroy it right in front of your very eyes..."
"I-"
"-You put her in any form of danger... You allow her to be put in a position where she feels threatened, where she is even remotely unhappy... I will make you pay for it. Understand?"
"... You have something of mine?"
"Yes. And, until this little nightmare is over and you have released Emma from her duty of following through with your deal, it will remain mine, and mine alone... I suggest you refrain from testing me."
"...Everything okay?"
Emma's tone is light and carefully neutral, but the brunette doesn't miss the crazed mess of her curls- the result of a nervous habit of pulling slim fingers restlessly through her long hair- or the tick at her jaw. Nor does she miss the way green eyes had roamed over her briefly as she had ducked into the warmth of the younger woman's bug.
She tries to tell herself that the Sheriff had in no way been looking for signs of violence.
For blood.
"Fine, dear."
"That's good..."
Curt, almost clinical, and the blonde starts the car and puts it into drive. Sighing, Regina flicks the switch on the stereo, allowing the hateful hollering of the younger woman's music to fill the silence. After a while, Emma turns to her, her expression kinder as they roll towards the Mayor's mansion.
"How come you stayed? What happened? Why couldn't I-"
"-You and your questions!... Nothing happened, Emma... I just... I wanted to make a few things clear to Gold... About you."
"... Oh..."
"And about how if he so much as looks at you the wrong way... I will make it my duty to have him regret it."
"...Regina... I don't need-"
"-It's not about what you need, dear... It's me. I needed to do it."
"... Oh... Okay..."
"Quite... And I do hope you plan on being a little more eloquent if I'm going to be stuck in a car with you for the next few days."
The blonde scowls at her, before breaking into a grin; the tension between them disappearing easily.
"Ah, well lucky for you I know plenty of car games."
"... Oh god."