Disclaimer: I do not own the Once Upon a Time franchise.
Chapter Seventeen
Mary Margaret stood in Emma's bedroom with David, almost methodically filling a suitcase with some of Emma's clothes, "I just can't believe the coincidence that of all the towns Emma, Henry, and August could choose to move to it was here. Where the grandfather of her son lives."
David sighed as he wrapped his arms around his tiny wife to draw her into a tight hug. "I know, Mary Margaret, but if there is one thing we know for certain, it's that trouble follows Robert Gold wherever he goes. And if his son is anything like his father, then I'd prefer to keep Henry and Emma away from him."
Mary Margaret gave her husband a returning squeeze before moving to the dresser to finish packing Emma's things. The suitcase already held Henry's clothes and she had a small bag with his books and his favorite blanket in it. "I agree with that. Now, the question is: who is going to let Regina know that her kingdom is going to be turned upside down?"
David cringed, "Hard pass. That woman is more like an evil queen when she's mad. I vote we give that honor to Graham. He does her bidding well enough and he's the sheriff."
"She is quite territorial." Mary Margaret agreed, "And a bit terrifying, but hopefully this won't spin her out too much." Mary Margaret vaguely recalled nearly being run over by Regina after her father's death. If it hadn't been for Graham, Regina probably would've killed Mary Margaret simply for meddling and trying to make life easier on the woman. Regina was never one to do things the easy way. And she didn't handle her emotions well. She was a very passionate woman. Most days Mary Margaret didn't know how Robin put up with her. But love didn't always make sense.
David pressed a kiss to the top of Mary Margaret's head, "Well, if Gold's issues with Killian didn't make her nearly commit murder, then hopefully this won't either. Particularly since Gold did actually try to kill Killian a time or two."
Zipping up the suitcase, Mary Margaret stepped back so David could pick it up, "I don't know, Regina seems to be very protective of Emma already." David simply hummed and flipped the light off so Mary Margaret could head down before him. He personally thought Regina was so protective of Emma because the two women were a lot alike. And also because Emma had a son. Regina may have her faults, but her love and protection of the children could not be matched.
A banging on the front door of Killian's cottage woke him. At some point after their conversations about their pasts and a bit more rum, Emma and Killian had dozed off on the sofa. Henry was still tucked away in his bed. He'd come out briefly, breaking down in fear before falling back asleep.
"Bloody fuck." Killian lightly pushed Emma off of him and stumbled to the door. When he threw it open, he found Regina and Robin there.
"I tried to stop her." Robin began apologetically before Regina shoved her way inside the cottage.
"Emma? Are you okay?" Regina called out. "Is she here?" He asked Killian, "You didn't let her go out alone did you?" She bit out sharply as she poked his chest.
"Ow," Killian grumbled, rubbing his chest, "keep your hands to yourself, your highness." He snapped. "And Emma is asleep on the sofa. She's had a trying day as it is and doesn't need you harassing her."
Hearing her name, Emma sat up, rubbing her eyes, "I'm up, August." She mumbled with a yawn.
Reginal let out an audible sigh when she spotted Emma, "Thank god you're okay." She was moving so quickly, Emma could barely register what was happening and that there were new people in the cottage.
"Regina?"
The woman pulled Emma into a hug, "Yes, Regina. And it's going to be okay, Emma."
Emma looked over Regina's shoulder at Killian, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Regina? How did you –"
"That insipid man, and I do mean the son, not the father, came barging into my office demanding to know where you were and why you had kidnapped his son!" Regina practically snarled, "Anyhow, I had Graham come and arrest him, so Baelfire is in jail now. I was so mad, that Graham called Robin and he," she motioned to her husband, "insisted I was too angry to drive so he drove me to your place and then finally here. I will kick that whole family out of my town. I swear, they're all nothing but trouble. And I don't care if that pesky librarian is Tink's sister. Also, what kind of name is Baelfire? It's stupid is what it is."
Emma pulled back, touched by Regina's loyalty and her protectiveness, "He is Henry's father, but he left me before I even knew I was pregnant and –"
"Emma," Robin came into the living room, sitting on the edge of the coffee table and taking her hands, "you don't have to explain it to us. We have your back and we'll help take care of Henry."
Another knock sounded and a still slightly surprised Killian moved to open the door. This time it was David with a large suitcase. "Thanks, Dave. Come join the party."
David came into the cottage, a bit stunned to find Robin and Regina there. "Regina had Graham arrest Baelfire and then insisted we find Emma." Robin explained.
David dropped the suitcase with a slight thump, "You arrested him?"
"I didn't arrest him," Regina corrected, "Graham did. I just ordered it. Disorderly conduct." She told him with a regal nod, "He was causing a scene at City Hall. I will not have my town turned into a circus."
Emma glanced down at her hands and then up at everyone else, "Thanks, August will be back in a couple of days, then I'll really be able to handle what's going on."
Regina shook her head, "You'll handle nothing. No one is coming near you or Henry unless Graham permits it. And Graham will not permit it. I will not allow him to permit it. And this is my town. What I say goes."
Giving the woman a soft smile, Emma shook her head, "Regina, I don't think that's how the law works. Even if you do control this town like it's your own tiny kingdom. I am going to keep Henry out of school tomorrow though. And I will need to sit down and talk to Baelfire or Neal or whatever the hell his name is today. . ." She sighed and raked her fingers through her messy curls. "Killian said we can stay here and I think that's the best bet right now. Even though I'm sure Gold will know where to find us."
David moved the suitcase out of the way, "It doesn't matter if he shows up here." He promised Emma, "This is private property. And it's some of the only property that isn't his so he can't enter it unless Killian says otherwise."
"And Killian would never let him do that." Killian spoke of himself in the third person and gave Emma a crooked grin.
Emma couldn't help but to softly return it, "Thanks." Her phone ringing stopped the conversation and she reached over to answer it, sighing in relief when she saw August's name. "Excuse me."
She stood up and moved to the back porch. The rest of the group could just hear her say, "August, where are you?" before she closed the sliding glass door.
"I thought August was in Colorado?" Robin questioned. He and the writer had spent a bit of time together over the past couple of weeks. August had become a regular at the shooting range.
Outside, Emma paced as she listened to August's new plan, "Okay, Ems, here's the deal, I got a picture of the guy following me. When I get back to town we're going to run him through the Arizona DMV database, you should have access to that. I want to know who he is. Now, I'm in Louisville. I nixed Chicago, Boston, and New York. No one's following me anymore and I want to get home now. I'm on the next bus up to Portland, it leaves in fifteen minutes."
"I'll pick you up from the bus depot." Emma murmured. "Henry will want to see you. And I'll feel better once we're all in the same place again."
"Sounds good. It's only about seventeen hours, so I'll be in tomorrow around 4 or 5 in the morning. I can get a hotel if you'd like." August reminded her of how long it took them to get to Storybrooke from Portland.
"No," Emma cut in. "We'll leave around eleven or twelve tonight and meet you there. Henry's sleeping now and honestly, I would rather sleep for a few more hours now that I'm tired."
When she came back in the room everyone was quiet. "Henry and I are going to go to Portland to pick up August. He gets in around 4 or 5 this morning depending on how long the bus takes. I'm going to sleep with Henry for a few more hours and then we'll go."
"Emma, maybe you shouldn't –" Robin stopped speaking the moment he saw the look on Emma's face.
Killian moved to pick up the keys to his truck. "Take my car." He suggested, "That way no one sees your little vessel on the road."
Emma accepted the keys and instinctively pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, "Thanks, Killian. I'm going to go lay down with Henry."
Simon Sanders grimaced at the screaming through his cell phone. He'd lost August Bailey in Las Vegas and couldn't pick up his trial from there. Walsh West was furious and currently refusing to pay any of his travel expenses or his hourly fee until he either found Bailey or Emma and the boy. Simon hadn't been able to find Emma in Denver and thought perhaps August coming to Denver was a way to fool them into thinking that was were they were. Instead, now Sanders believed Emma and Henry were in Denver or the surrounding area and August fleeing had been a way to throw him off their trail.
"I'm heading back to Denver now." Sanders hung up the phone before Walsh could even object. Emma Walsh was fast becoming one of the smartest and most interesting people he'd trailed. He couldn't wait to find her.