Graham was announced dead by everybody in Storybrooke. Evie was struck with guilt... She tried her best to tolerate him since he made her mother happy even if she wasn't the biggest fan of him, especially when he would try to act like her father most of the time. Evie may not had really remembered her father who Regina said suffered from a heart attack when she was very young and long before Henry had been adopted into their family, but she secretly appreciated the comfort and effort as long as Graham wouldn't try to be a surrogate helicopter parent to her. Storybrooke was definitely going to be a different place without Graham and Evie had to wonder what was going to become of Emma since she was working in the sheriff's station after finding out it was impossible to leave Storybrooke, but she would try again another time, at least after Henry's fairy tale obsession would die down and he would move onto something else like maybe Pokémon, Digimon, or whatever else kind of "Mon" that kids were into nowadays.
Emma was getting better in playing along with Operation: Cobra, but it was still clear that she didn't firmly believe in it while Evie was slowly starting to wonder if maybe Henry was onto something with certain people in Storybrooke. She had to wonder though, if The Enchanted Forest was real and she and the other teenagers came from it, why wouldn't they remember it either? Were they too young? Were they part of the fairy tales and just didn't know it? It was a lot to think about, especially from a 10-year-old who sounded very passionate and intelligent about what he was talking about. Evie decided to keep Henry company as they both had been through a lot since the incident and she tried everything in her power to cheer him up or keep him happy as he was grim and gloomy lately, but who could blame him?
Ben was soon shown to be in his father's shop, sweeping up the floor. He concentrated very hard on his work and looked out the window as he thought more about other things besides Storybrooke, such as exploring and helping other people based on a dream he had. He kept it to himself and away from his father because he was sure that his father wouldn't understand, like how Regina reacts to Henry's ideas involving Emma. Speaking of which, he then looked up as the door opened and closed, ringing the bells as the woman came inside.
"Sheriff Swan..." Ben greeted with a nod of his head. "What brings you here?"
"I think your dad called me?" Emma replied. "Is he in here?"
"Yes, but he's in the back," Ben explained. "I can get him for you if you want."
"I need to talk to him." Emma nodded, on her way to the back.
"Oh! Uh... Sheriff Swan? You might wanna plug your nose before you go in there." Ben warned.
"...Why?" Emma asked, glancing at him.
"Trust me... It's not pretty back there." Ben advised.
Emma just looked at him before he went to see the owner of the pawnshop.
"It's your funeral..." Ben muttered as he continued to sweep up the floor as it was part of his job as his father's apprentice in the pawnshop.
Emma soon came into the backroom before grimacing instantly as she found Mr. Gold covering a piece of cloth with some sort of smelly material. "Whoa! What is that?" she then groaned instantly.
"Oh, this is lanolin; used for waterproofing," Mr. Gold explained. "It makes Benjamin rather queasy."
"I can see why," Emma replied in disgust. "It smells like livestock."
"Well, it is the reason why sheep's wool repels water." Mr. Gold clarified.
"It stinks," Emma said before she changed the subject. "Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department... If you want to talk about that quickly-"
"Yes." Mr. Gold nodded.
"Or outside...?" Emma then suggested.
"I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really," Mr. Gold explained as he took a break. "The Sheriff was a good man. You're still wearing the Deputy's badge. Well, he's been gone two weeks, now, and I believe that after two weeks of acting as Sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real badge." he then told her calmly.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words." Emma then said before she then decided to leave after she got what was wanted from the short discussion.
"I have his things." Mr. Gold said as he came after her then.
"What?" Emma muttered then as Mr. Gold came over to a box on the counter.
"The Sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own," Mr. Gold explained as he came to the box. "Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."
"I don't need anything." Emma reassured.
"As you wish," Mr. Gold then said. "Well, give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family next to young Evelyn."
"I'm not sure about that." Emma replied.
"No love lost there, I see," Mr. Gold said quietly. "Look, I feel that all of this stuff is headed for the trash bin; you really should take something. Look, his jacket."
"No." Emma said.
"Well, look," Mr. Gold then said before he pulled out a couple of walkie-talkies from the box. "Your boy might like these, don't you think? You could play together."
Emma was still a bit unsure. "I don't-"
"No, please. They... They grow up so fast." Mr. Gold heavily insisted. "Benjamin and Evelyn used to use these all the time to play a spy game in the house even if I told them to do it outside as 'Agents Golden Boy and Blueberry' or sneaking cookies from the jar."
Emma looked at him before she decided to take the walkie-talkies. "Thanks." she then said softly.
"You enjoy these with your boy. Your time together is precious, you know?" Mr. Gold nodded before he gave a small glance over to Ben as the boy continued to sweep up the floor. "That's the thing about children, before you know it, you lose them."
Emma looked at him before she then left the back room and went to leave the pawnshop altogether.
"Good to see you're still alive." Ben said as he watched the woman leave.
"Very funny..." Emma smirked before she left the shop and then went to head over to look for Henry.
Ben chuckled warmly before he finished sweeping the floor and putting the dustpan into the trashcan.
"Well done," Mr. Gold said as he stepped out, leaning on his cane as he saw his son. "Now that you've finished sweeping, you can practice your equations for the next Math test you might have in school."
"Ugh... Math is so tricky, Dad..." Ben groaned. "Can't I take a break and head outside for a while? Please... I'm stuck inside cleaning and studying all day. I wanna go outside. Outside is good!"
"You will keep studying until you get into a good college," Mr. Gold retorted gently. "A healthy mind leads to a healthy life."
Ben seemed to sigh sharply and puff out his cheeks.
Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he then demanded.
"I'll... Get right on it!" Ben then quickly covered up as he went to get to his backpack to take out his textbooks.
"That's what I thought you said," Mr. Gold nodded. "Now less chatter and more hard work."
Ben frowned as he always felt so pressured by his father before he went to study yet again. He glanced outside, seeing the others he knew so free and happy while he was trapped inside with work. Mr. Gold nodded at his young son, though he seemed to look and feel a little bit guilty about something before he went back to the backroom until he was done with his own job.
Evie and Henry were sitting at the playground castle together as Evie was holding onto a rose. They were both very quiet and then looked over as Emma soon came over to see them.
"Brought you something," Emma said to Henry as she brought out the walkie-talkies to the boy. "Thought we could use them together for Operation: Cobra."
"Hey... I remember those things..." Evie said, trying to smile, though it seemed a little hard to make it a happy smile.
"Thanks." Henry said softly to Emma.
"Oh, come on! What's up?" Emma complained about how Henry wasn't very excited right now. "You've been ducking me for weeks."
"I think we should stop Cobra stuff for a while," Henry suggested a bit maturely. "You don't play with the curse. Look what happened to Graham."
"Henry, I told you they did an autopsy," Emma then said. "It was totally natural causes."
"Or a broken heart." Evie added softly.
"Okay, whatever. You don't believe, good," Henry pouted. "That should keep you from messing with it. And getting killed."
Emma began to look concerned. "...You're worried about me?" she then asked.
"She killed Graham because he was good and you're good." Henry explained.
"Henry..." Emma said softly.
"Good loses, good always loses. Because good has to play fair, evil doesn't. She's evil," Henry defended. "This is probably best. I don't want to upset her anymore." he then added before he gave Emma the walkie-talkie back and decided to leave.
Evie watched Henry go before sighing, then looked back at Emma. "I'm sorry, we've been through a lot," she then said. "I'll go talk to him for you though."
"Thanks, Evie... You're a really good kid..." Emma nodded. "A real sweetie."
"Yeah... It almost seems impossible my mother would be The Evil Queen, right?" Evie replied with a sad smile.
"Right..." Emma smiled back a bit. "Guess I'll catch you guys later."
"Much later." Evie nodded before she hopped down from the castle and went to follow Henry.
"Thank you, Evie." Emma said softly.
Evie gave a small smile, but frowned as she turned away and began to walk away with Henry. Emma looked soft as she let the Mills siblings go, but there was clearly a lot on their minds right now.
Soon, at school, Evie looked at her test paper back from Mr. Deley and saw that she had a B+. She looked rather proud of herself and she began to feel like sometimes she was more than just a pretty face and she was glad to show it and not hide it as most beautiful and pretty girls around this school either were totally brainless or they just hid their smarts so that dopey guys like Chad would like them. And then speaking of Chad as he spotted her in the hallway.
"Eva, you're an idiot!" Chad complained as he showed an F on his test paper with a lot of red marks on the questions. "I'm not cheating off you anymore!"
"Promise?" Evie asked innocently.
"There are plenty of other brainiacs that I can and will cheat off of." Chad retorted rather smugly.
Evie hid a small smirk as she saw someone coming.
"Really, Mr. Herman?" Mr. Deley asked as he suddenly appeared, seemingly from nowhere. "Is that so?"
Chad groaned and firmly pouted as he was now in trouble.
"Come with me," Mr. Deley then decided. "I think we need to have a few words with Principal Hoffman and Coach Jenkins and bring your atrocious test paper. I wanna talk over some changes with your school schedule." he then demanded.
Chad grunted and groaned before he walked on over to go with Mr. Deley, trudging along down the hallway.
"Y-Y-You deserve better than him, ya know." A familiar voice piped up from behind.
"Doug?" Evie asked before she looked over to see the boy.
"If you ask me, you deserve an A for burning Chad." Doug smiled innocently.
"Oh... Thank you, Doug," Evie said with a small smile back. "You're really sweet. You're gonna make some girl very happy someday."
"Oh... Erm... T-T-Thank you, Evie... I sure hope so." Doug nodded and adjusted his glasses bashfully.
"Hey... Are you going to see your mother today?" Evie then asked as she bit her lip and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"Erm... Yes, I don't believe I have band practice today... Why?" Doug replied.
"Would you mind if I came along with you?" Evie then asked. "I promise I'll try to stay out of your way."
"Oh... Uh... Well... Sure, you can come," Doug said as he blushed. "I-I-If you want to I mean."
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to," Evie said with a small smile. "All right, Doug. How about we meet up at the front of the school after 3:00 then?" she then suggested.
"It's a date!" Doug smiled before his eyes widened. "...That's just an expression."
"I know, Doug," Evie smiled back as she nodded. "And I very much look forward to it."
"I look forward to it too, Evie," Doug said as he blushed. "I'm sure Mom will be happy to see you too. She asked about you the other day."
"She did?" Evie asked softly as she put her hand over her chest.
"Mm-hmm," Doug nodded. "I think she enjoys your company a lot."
Evie smiled at that as she began to look a bit chipper now.
"Jordan Glass, in charge of the school-" Jordan began to say as she suddenly approached Doug and Evie trying to look like an investigative reporter like her father.
"Jordan, we've known you since Pre-K." Doug and Evie rolled their eyes slightly.
"Hmph... You better not do that when I take over my father's job and I don't just mean after graduation." Jordan firmly pouted and rolled her eyes.
"You're gonna work with your dad pretty soon like how Ben works with his dad?" Evie asked out of confusion.
"Something like that, only, he might not be in his office very long when it comes to printing out a new story." Jordan said with a smirk.
"Huh?" Doug asked.
"Whatya mean by that, Jordan?" Evie added.
"You don't know? How very interesting that Mayor Mills' little princess doesn't know what's going on?" Jordan smirked and cackled a little.
"Well, are you gonna tell us or are you just going to brag about being the heiress to The Storybrooke Daily Mirror?" Doug asked as he began to feel frustrated.
"Fine, fine, you've twisted my arms." Jordan chuckled and smirked.
Doug and Evie just rolled their eyes at that.
"Your mom is helping my dad become the new Sheriff of Storybrooke." Jordan soon told them, though mostly to Evie since she mentioned their parents.
"Wait... What?" Evie asked with wide eyes.
"Ahh... So you don't know what's going on them..." Jordan smirked. "And here I thought you and your mother shared everything."
"Things have been complicated between me and Mom lately." Evie said as she muttered slightly with a small, but still visible pout.
"I just find that to be very interesting," Jordan replied. "Also no doubt of how your little brother will react to find out that he was born in jail."
"...Okay, stop." Evie complained.
"These juicy stories just right themselves," Jordan smirked. "I guess it comes with being the daughter of Sidney Glass."
"Hmph..." Evie firmly pouted.
"Okay, Jordan, I think it's time for you to go now." Doug then said, trying to be assertive.
"And who's going to make me? You?" Jordan replied. "A total Band Geek?"
"Jordan, that's uncalled for!" Evie gasped and frowned.
"It's okay, Evie... That's actually a compliment..." Doug smiled sheepishly.
"Well, it was still rude," Evie replied. "You're not a geek, Doug. You're amazing just the way you are."
"...Wow. Gosh..." Doug whispered and blushed as Evie saw him that way.
"You would defend him, Evie," Jordan smirked. "Good luck trying to befriend The Pinkettes when you're friends with the school riffraff."
Evie groaned before rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"Well, I gotta go," Jordan smiled. "I can hardly wait for my dad's victory party as the new Sheriff of Storybrooke."
Doug and Evie just looked annoyed with Jordan's boasting about her father.
"Well, I'll see you around," Jordan smirked. "Good luck with your little brother and the next paper heading out on doorstops, Evie." she then decided to walk away then.
"Man... What's her problem?" Doug complained.
"I don't know... She was never this bad when we were little kids," Evie sighed. "In fact, she was always making us laugh and feel happy again back in the day."
"Yeah. No one ever had a friend like Jordan Glass." Doug agreed with a small smile.
Evie smiled back at him. "So, I'll see you after school?" she then asked.
"You'd still meet up with me even if Jordan might tell The Pinkettes about it?" Doug then asked in surprise.
"Oh... Uh... Sure... I wouldn't mind..." Evie smiled innocently before whispering to herself. "As long as they don't see me with you."
"What was that last part?" Doug asked a little suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Uh... I can't wait to see your mother again." Evie then covered up with a small smile.
"Uh-huh..." Doug said, still suspicious before he nodded. "All right then, Evie. I look forward to it too."
Evie smiled softly before she went to go to her locker as Doug walked away to get to his own as the next bell rang. Evie then looked over, seeing Mal, Jay, and Carlos yet again and couldn't help but wonder what they were up to. She then did her best to ignore what was going on with the other students as she had other things to worry about, such as taking more care and responsibility for Henry since Graham was no longer with them.
Some time had passed and Ben was soon working in his father's shop again. The boy was told to do dusting in the backroom as Mr. Gold was taking care of a lighter before a certain woman came into the store and Ben would soon make a rather interesting and shocking discovery.
"Regina."
Regina stepped inside and flipped the sign to the "closed" side as she looked very unhappy with the man right now.
"Shall I move some things?" Mr. Gold then asked as she just invited herself in, deathly silent. "Make a bit of space for your rage?"
"You found that loophole in the town charter." Regina stated firmly as Ben was sneaking around after he was dusting and sneaking around in his father's backroom.
"Legal documents, contracts, if you like," Mr. Gold replied. "Always been a fascination of mine."
"Yes, you love to trifle with technicalities." Regina replied.
"I like small weapons, you see," Mr. Gold clarified smugly. "The needle, the pen, the fine point of a deal. Subtlety, not your style, I know."
Regina looked beyond ticked off with him now. "You're a bastard." she then spat out.
Ben flinched as he overheard that, but said nothing of it, especially if his father would believe him to be eavesdropping.
"I think your grief's getting the better of you, Regina," Mr. Gold then tutted the woman. "Shame what happened to Graham."
"Don't you talk about him," Regina scoffed. "You know nothing."
"What is there to know? He died." Mr. Gold retorted.
"Are you really going up against me?" Regina demanded.
"Not directly. We are, after all, both invested in the common good," Mr. Gold replied. "We're just picking different sides."
"Well, I think you picked a really slow horse this time. It's not like you to back a loser." Regina then replied smugly.
"She hasn't lost yet."
"She will."
"Never underestimate someone who's acting for their child." Mr. Gold argued.
"He's not her child. Not legally. And I at least still have Evie." Regina reminded.
"Oh, now who's trifling with technicalities?" Mr. Gold then retorted before Regina was a bit defeated, but wouldn't admit it of course.
Ben then looked around before he found a slip of paper sticking out. He then was about to put it back before he was curious of what the paper had on it and decided to take a look at it. It looked very, very old, almost like it could have come from a very long time ago. He then opened up the paper and found an interesting image on it before he flinched and heard his father coming, so he went to hide the paper in his pocket before it could be found.
"Benjamin, have you finished dusting yet?" Mr. Gold asked as he came to his son.
"Erm... Yes, sir..." Ben replied as he turned over and nodded his head, though he looked a little jittery.
"...You're fidgeting," Mr. Gold noticed. "What's troubling you, son?"
"Nothing... Why do you think that...?" Ben grinned nervously.
Mr. Gold narrowed his eyes before he just stepped back. He would shrug, but it would be improper. "Fine. Keep your secrets," he then said. "Why don't you run over to Granny's Diner? Get yourself an after school snack."
"Wow, Dad... That actually sounds really good right now..." Ben replied. "Are you sure that would be okay?"
"Of course it's okay... I'm not holding you prisoner or anything," Mr. Gold chuckled warmly before giving his son a small smirk. "Take a break. I'll take it from here for a while."
"Okay, Dad... When should I come back?" Ben asked.
"Just be back before it gets dark," Mr. Gold advised. "You have a curfew and it's a school night. Plus you have a job right now. Understood?"
"Yes, sir..." Ben nodded as he put the feather duster down and went to walk away out the door.
"Good boy," Mr. Gold replied. "Cause no trouble or there will be trouble."
"I know, Dad! I won't!" Ben called out as he headed out the door.
Mr. Gold nodded and allowed his son to go before he would look after things for the time being.
Henry and Evie were at the diner.
"How long have you known about this?" Henry asked his sister.
"For a while..." Evie sighed. "I was concerned about telling you, I just wasn't sure how to."
"I could've handled it, you know," Henry reminded. "I'm not like a lot of other kids my age."
"I know, Henry, but sometimes it's hard for me to choose what to do," Evie defended. "I'm only 16. I'm not a child anymore, but I'm also not an adult."
"Hmm..." Henry paused as he looked shifty.
Evie just sighed before she sipped her apple juice as they got comfortable in the diner together.
Soon, Emma came in and found the Mills siblings before she decided to sit across from them as Henry read the newspaper at their booth. "How was school?" she then asked them.
"Okay." Henry replied, still focused on the newspaper.
"I passed another chemistry test." Evie added.
"Good, good," Emma smiled and nodded at Evie before she noticed Henry seemed to be quite a bit distracted. "You're reading that paper pretty hard."
"Sidney wrote it," Henry said before passing Emma the paper as it was about her being an ex-jailbird and he had read the whole story about what happened on the day he was born. "Is it a lie?" he then asked.
"No." Emma said softly.
"I was born in jail?" Henry then asked.
"Yes. These records were supposed to be sealed," Emma said with a sigh. "Tell me you're not scarred for life."
"I'm not. Well, not by this." Henry then said.
"You knew about it too?" Emma then asked Evie.
"Sidney's daughter goes to school with me," Evie replied. "She's pretty obnoxious about being a reporter like her dad."
"Oh... Well... Good," Emma then said to the siblings before she tried to help them. "Then, let's throw this out and we will get our news from something more reliable. Like the internet."
"This is what I've been trying to tell you, good can't be evil, because good doesn't do this kind of thing," Henry then told Emma urgently. "My mom plays dirty; that's why you can't beat her. Ever."
"I have a new ally," Emma reassured Henry. "Mr. Gold said he's going to help."
Evie flinched and winced at the mention of Mr. Gold.
"Mr. Gold? He's even worse than she is," Henry warned and pleaded. "You already owe him one favor. You don't want to owe him any more. Don't do this."
Emma then seemed like she wasn't going to live up to that deal.
"She's gonna talk to Mom." Evie said knowingly.
"Yep..." Henry sighed. "I was afraid of this."
Evie sighed before she nodded at him before ruffling up his hair to help comfort him. Ruby then smiled as she came by to give Henry his hot chocolate with cinnamon.
"I'm really sorry, Henry, but just know that it doesn't change a thing about you and it doesn't mean I don't love you," Evie then said softly. "You're still my little brother. My prince brother that I asked for."
"Then you're a princess sister?" Henry then asked.
"Exactly, Henry," Evie smiled warmly. "No matter what happens, no matter what happens to change in Storybrooke, no matter what anyone else says or does, you are my little brother and that's what matters to me."
"I just wish you would stop being friends with those Pinkettes, especially Magda." Henry then said.
"Let me guess; she's the descendant of Medusa?" Evie then smirked.
"Now you're just being ridiculous," Henry then said, sounding a bit adult. "That's Mythology."
"Yeah... I know..." Evie then said. "Just remember that you'll never lose my love and I'm sorry you had to find out about this."
"It's okay, I guess," Henry said with a deep sigh. "I'm just worried about Emma getting mixed up with Mr. Gold. You know that all of his deals come with a price."
"I know, but Mr. Gold's not a monster," Evie reassured. "He's a bit scary and mysterious, but I don't think he would hurt us."
Henry frowned and thought about it, not too sure if he agreed with Evie about that or not.
"...Okay, just take my word for it," Evie then said. "Before you came home with us and I slept over at Ben's house when we were kids, he was pretty cool as long as we followed his rules. He's not so bad once you get to know him."
"That's just what grown-ups say when they mean 'You'll get used to him being mean and a jerk all the time'." Henry lightly retorted.
"Hmph... You're a tough nut to crack sometimes, Henry," Evie smirked. "However... Speaking of nutcrackers..."
"Huh?" Henry blinked.
Evie pointed over to Henry's side then. Henry then looked over and saw that Dee Dee seemed to be coming over before flinching and stopping herself with her hands behind her back.
"Hello, Dee Dee," Evie smiled. "It's nice to see you again."
"Hi, Evie..." Dee Dee said with a nod. "It's good to see you again too. You too, Henry."
"Hi, Dee Dee," Henry smiled at his friend. "What're you doing?"
"I just wanted to give this to you," Dee Dee said before she took out a deep purple/cobalt blue flower to him. "Do you know what this is?"
"...A flower?" Henry guessed with a small smile.
"It's a hyacinth," Dee Dee said as she smiled back. "They're one of my favorite flowers... Probably next to poinsettias."
"Because they remind you of Christmas?" Evie asked as she had a pretty good idea.
"Mm-hmm..." Dee Dee smiled and nodded. "Christmas is my favorite holiday... Especially since my birthday is on December 18th."
"That means you're a Sagittarius." Evie noted.
"I'm not sure what that means, but thank you, Evie." Dee Dee shrugged bashfully.
Evie chuckled softly. "That's not what I mean... It... Well... I'll tell you sometime," she then said. "Thank you for the flower though. I'm sure Henry appreciates it."
"I do," Henry nodded as he accepted the flower. "Thank you, Dee Dee."
"You're welcome," Dee Dee said as she stepped back a little once Henry took the flower. "I'm really sorry about Graham though. He seemed like a really interesting man."
"Thank you, Dee Dee," Evie then said with a sad smile. "We'll tell Mom when we get home."
Henry nodded in agreement to that.
"You're welcome," Dee Dee said before she began to suddenly leave the diner. "Well... Bye."
"...Do you have to go?" Henry asked in concern.
"I should run along and finish my homework," Dee Dee said bashfully as she rubbed the back of her head a little. "Ms. Blanchard keeps us busy."
"...Yeah, she does," Henry said with a nod. "...See ya, Dee Dee."
"Bye, Henry." Dee Dee said softly before she left suddenly.
Henry watched her go before looking back at Evie.
"She seems like a really good friend." Evie said softly.
"She's alright," Henry nodded. "I just wonder who she could be from the book?"
"You think she has a story?" Evie guessed.
"Everybody has a story," Henry reassured. "Even you and the other descendants. Like even maybe Doug."
"All right, well, when you find out, let me know." Evie told him.
"I will," Henry promised. "Just you wait. We're so close to breaking Storybrooke's curse."
Evie gave a small smile even though she was unsure about that, though she kept trying to believe. Sometimes her belief was stronger than it once was, especially recently, but she was still a little doubtful about it, especially considering her recent dream which she thought was probably just a random dream. However, Graham did see weird flashes when he kissed Emma and Regina about being a huntsman with wolf friends, but she decided that if those dreams came back, she would talk to Henry about them whenever she could. It would pretty much be a reverse of their sibling bond as she was the big sister and he was the little brother.
Some time had passed as Emma went to confront Regina about a certain something involving a certain newspaper. However, while that was going on, Evie met up with Doug and decided to bring Henry along as she knew their mother would be at her office, especially with Sidney about the story on Emma and her talking him into running for the new Sheriff of Storybrooke.
"Sorry we're a little late, Doug," Evie said softly. "I had to get Henry an after school treat."
"Oh, uh, it's okay," Doug said as he gave a small smile to the younger boy. "Hello there, Henry. It's good to see you again."
"Hey, Doug," Henry replied. "I got a lot going on right now, but Evie said we could hang out here for a little while."
"Sure thing," Doug smiled. "I come here a lot to relax, especially with my mom."
"Your mom's the one who thinks she's a cat, right?" Henry asked.
"Henry..." Evie whispered/scolded a little bit as that sounded rude.
"It's okay," Doug smiled sheepishly. "It's not the best treatment for her to undergo, but... Yeah, she's like a cat. I often have to keep her away from the fish tank so she doesn't eat those fish."
"Has that ever actually really happened before?" Evie wondered.
"More times than I'd like to remember to be honest with you." Doug said with a deep sigh, but still smiled as he still loved his mother, even though she was a little eccentric. He then turned around to lead the Mills siblings inside after him.
"Any clue who Doug's mother probably was in Fairy Tale Land?" Evie asked Henry curiously.
"You're not picking on me, are you?" Henry asked with a pout.
"No. Just making conversation." Evie replied with a small smile.
"Oh," Henry said before he thought about it. "I caught a glimpse of her when we were here before John Doe woke up to be David Nolan and Prince Charming. She kinda looks like Snow White though."
"Snow White, huh?" Evie replied. "So you think she might be her twin sister? Like... Rose Red?"
"I think that's something else, but maybe?" Henry shrugged. "I felt a relation between Doug's mom and Snow White though when I checked my book. I'd have to look at her and my book again to fully tell you though."
"Ohh... Okay then..." Evie said as they followed Doug to go and see his mother.
Soon, they made it into the hospital as Dr. Whale was examining other patients. A nurse was shown to be carrying a tray of food and was on her way to a certain location of the hospital.
"Ooh... Who's that for?" Evie wondered.
"Sorry, I can't tell you that," The nurse replied. "Just someone who hasn't had any visitors in a very long time and seems to have spent her whole life here."
"Oh... Poor girl..." Evie frowned softly.
"Yes..." The nurse nodded. "She doesn't even seem to remember or know who she is."
"Gosh... I wish that I could help her..." Evie said softly. "Are you sure that you can't tell me?"
"Believe me, I've wanted to know too." Ben's voice spoke up.
"Ben...?" Evie asked in surprise before turning around to see him.
"I don't know who's down there, but she sounds mysterious, but they won't let officials, Dr. Whale, or responsible adults down there," Ben then said. "Dad's almost never around this place, so not even I can solve any mysteries."
The nurse shook her head at them and walked away.
"That's wrong," Evie pouted. "That poor girl sounds so lonely and we wanna see her and they won't even let us."
"Yeah... But that's just life, I guess," Ben shrugged. "People want us to grow up and expect to be grown-up by age 16 and yet they still treat us like little kids because we're not adults yet. We can't even vote."
"Tell me about it," Evie said. "What're you doing here, Ben? I'm a little surprised."
"Just taking a little break from my dad," Ben replied. "He's working me so hard you'd think I was more of his servant than his son."
"Oh, Ben, I'm sure that's not true," Evie said softly. "...You know, we should hang out again sometime. It's been so long..."
"Yeah... We had good times... When we were kids, I mean," Ben said as he looked down bashfully. "Before... Everything changed."
"Yeah..." Evie said lightly.
"Evie?" Doug called as he walked over. "Aren't you coming to say hi to Mom?"
"Oh... Right..." Evie said before smiling nervously. "Sorry, Doug. I was just catching up with Ben."
"Right..." Doug said with a nod before looking over. "Um... Hello there, Ben."
"Hi, Doug," Ben nodded. "How's your mom doing?"
"Still hungry for fish." Doug replied.
"Ah... Well, I'm sure she'll be okay soon," Ben said. "At least she's getting the help she needs."
"Yeah, but it's a little rough for me," Doug shrugged before smiling softly. "She at least still asks if I have homework and if I remember to brush my teeth and eat my broccoli. Moms..." he then said bashfully with a chuckle.
"Yeah... Moms..." Ben said with a sad smile.
"Oh... S-Sorry, Ben... I didn't mean to offend you..." Doug said softly.
"You didn't, it's okay," Ben said. "You guys have a good visit."
"Okay. Thanks, Ben," Evie replied. "We'll see you in school."
"Yeah. See ya." Doug added.
"Right then..." Ben nodded. "See you in school."
And with that, the three teenagers then split up to do their own thing as Ben left the hospital while Doug and Evie went to see his mother. When they got there, Henry was sitting with Ebony who smiled at him and seemed to enjoy his company very much so far.
"Oh, Kitten... How are you today?" Ebony smiled warmly at her son.
"Hey, Mom," Doug smiled back, a bit sheepishly. "I'm doing just fine, thank you."
"Good, good..." Ebony nodded before looking over. "Oh, and you brought your princess girlfriend."
"Mom... We're just friends right now..." Doug blushed nervously.
"And I'm not a princess." Evie added with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, well, of course you are, my dear," Ebony smiled warmly at Evie. "You're Regina's daughter, even if she's The Evil Queen."
"Henry, have you been reading your storybook to Doug's mother?" Evie then asked with a small sigh.
"She likes it," Henry defended innocently. "Don't you, Mrs. Doug?"
"I do, my dear, I very much do," Ebony smiled. "It's a very nice story. I especially like how the dwarves and their good friend helped Snow White and Prince Charming with their child so that The Evil Queen couldn't harm her."
"I thought you might like that." Henry smiled.
"Good friend?" Evie asked curiously. "It was just Snow White with the seven dwarves, wasn't it? I mean... We just recently rewatched that movie, Henry." she then reminded.
"Not according to this," Henry said as he showed his book to the page of an illustration of a woman who strongly resembled Ebony with hints of Snow White's genetics there as well. "Snow White had a cousin who was part cat and was the love interest of Dopey."
"Dopey the Dwarf?" Evie blinked. "Really?"
"So... That makes me the descendant of a dwarf?" Doug asked. "I think I'm pretty tall for a dwarf, kid. I'm 5'8."
"You must take after my side of the family then." Ebony smiled innocently.
Doug looked a bit bashful as his mother encouraged Henry's obsession with fairy tales.
"I'm so sorry," Evie said nervously. "Henry's going through a phase."
"It's all right, my dear, I really don't mind at all," Ebony smiled. "Dougie dear, would you mind getting me a glass of water? I'm a little parched." she then requested.
"Oh, sure, Mom..." Doug nodded as he went to do just that.
"Henry, dear, why don't you go with him?" Ebony then suggested. "Make sure that he doesn't get lost."
"Okay." Henry shrugged, then came to go with Doug to get that water.
Evie watched them go before she sighed and let out a small pout.
"And you, my dear?" Ebony piped up.
"Oh... You okay, Miss Ebony?" Evie asked as she looked over.
"I'm fine," Ebony smiled. "Come a little closer."
Evie looked around both sides before she stepped over just a little bit.
"Just a bit closer, please." Ebony said as she still smiled.
Evie came a bit closer, but still a little far away.
"Please, dear, why don't you sit next to me?" Ebony suggested as she patted the chair next to her.
Evie then came close enough to stand in front of the chair. Ebony then smiled and nodded her head. Evie gave a small smile back before she sat down in the chair.
"I was hoping that we could talk alone, my dear." Ebony then said.
"Did I do something wrong?" Evie asked out of concern.
"No, dear, nothing like that, I promise," Ebony said with a small smile. "I wanted to talk to you more about my little kitten, Douglas."
"Ah... Right... That Doug sure is an interesting one, ma'am," Evie replied. "We're both pretty smart in school, especially in Mr. Deley's class."
"Yes, Doug has always been a very bright boy and you seem to be one too," Ebony smiled. "He told me about how you two looked at the stars together through his telescope. He got that when he was quarantined in his room with a bad case of chicken pox when he was a little boy, you know."
"No, I didn't know that, but that's interesting to know." Evie said.
"You know, he really likes you too," Ebony smiled. "He really, really likes you."
Evie's eyes widened and she blushed a bit.
"Don't tell him that I told you, but he really admires you, you're very beautiful, kind, caring, and very, very smart," Ebony then said. "To him, you're like a princess. It almost reminds me of when I first met his father, Dopey."
"Oh, ma'am, you can't really think that a dwarf is your husband, do you?" Evie asked out of concern, though she did seem to be a bit curious as she never would've thought of Dopey the Dwarf finding or being in love with anybody.
"Oh, I don't think that, my dear, I know it," Ebony reassured as she smiled. "If I could find love in Dopey in The Fairy Tale Forest, then surely you can too in my son. Just like in your book, right?"
"...Actually, it's not my book; it's Henry's," Evie clarified. "...I guess that's true. Like Beauty finding love in The Beast."
"Precisely," Ebony smiled. "I also feel very comfortable with your brother reading to me from his storybook. I love a good story with a happy ending, don't you, my dear?"
"Yes... I suppose so..." Evie said with a small smile back before she was still blushing at the idea of getting together with Doug. "So, you think that you might be Snow White's sister?"
"Cousin, dear," Ebony lightly corrected. "And you would be Snow White's sister since your mother is The Evil Queen."
"Ah... Um... Uh... Okay then..." Evie said with a bashful smile.
Ebony giggled warmly as Doug and Henry soon came back into the room.
"Here you go, Mom," Doug said as he brought out the glass of water. "Sorry it took a little long, but you two seemed busy."
"That's quite all right, my dear," Ebony smiled before she took the glass of water and took a sip. "Ah... That's very nice and refreshing."
"I'm glad, Mom," Doug smiled. "So did you two find something interesting to talk about?"
"Um... Yeah... Really interesting..." Evie nodded.
"Just some private girl talk, my kitten," Ebony smiled warmly at her son. "This girl is very lovely. She's smart and cute. So ask her out already." she then suggested.
"Mother!" Doug gasped and blushed as Henry couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Oh, I'm only kidding, my dear," Ebony smiled warmly. "Why don't we play a nice game of cards, though? We always play cards when you visit and you tell me about how school's going."
"Okay, Mom," Doug smiled back before he looked at Evie and Henry. "Care to play along?"
"Sure." Henry smiled.
"Okay." Evie added.
"Great," Doug smiled as he took out his backpack and took out a pack of Uno cards. "Hope you guys know how to play."
"Know how to play?" Henry smirked. "I'm gonna take you back to preschool."
"Ooh! I love a good challenge once in a while." Doug smirked back playfully.
The four laughed together before they soon began to play their card game together.
After a while of playing, there was one last game.
"Henry, you totally cheated!" Evie pouted.
"Did not," Henry chuckled. "You know the rules, you have to have one card in the end and you had to draw four cards."
"You could've at least made the color blue." Evie smirked.
"Sorry, but I felt in the mood for red when I played that wild card." Henry smirked back.
"Wild cards really are brutal." Doug chuckled.
"That they are." Ebony smiled warmly, enjoying this time together so far.
Dr. Whale soon came into the room with some pills. "Pardon me, I hate to interrupt the party, but I have a couple of things to share." he then said.
"Ah... Medicine time..." Doug memorized.
Dr. Whale nodded and he soon brought the pills over to Ebony and she accepted them before putting them in her mouth. He then looked over to see the Mills siblings. "Ah, Evie. Henry. Good to see you, but you should probably get out of here." he then suggested.
"Oh, sorry. Is this a family thing?" Evie asked.
"Well, not for Doug and his mother, but for you two," Dr. Whale said, suddenly sounding urgent. "There's been a fire and your mother is there."
"WHAT?!" Evie gasped and panicked with wide eyes before she hopped up.
"Mom?!" Henry added, instantly worrying.
"I'd hurry if I were you," Dr. Whale suggested. "She doesn't seem to be hurt, but Miss Swan got her out of the fire in time."
"Oh, my gosh..." Evie whispered as she clutched her chest. "Henry, we should get moving," she then told her brother. "Mom might need us."
"Okay, Evie..." Henry nodded.
"Doug, Mrs. Clark, we'll see you guys later, okay?" Evie then said as she urgently took Henry's hand and went to go out the door with him.
"Yeah, okay," Doug nodded. "I hope your mom will be okay."
"Me too, Doug, me too." Evie replied before she went to leave with Henry as quickly as they could.
Ebony then seemed to swallow her pills, though she actually hid them in her mouth as she refused to take them for a personal reason. Dr. Whale ran a couple of tests on Ebony for the day while Doug stood there and got his stuff ready as it was about to get dark outside.
Of course, what was expected, was that the mansion did go through a fire, but on the plus side, the firefighters made it over and Regina was outside with Emma right now. The siblings looked around and spoke with a nearby fireman as a crowd drew by the mansion, all wondering what could have happened that started the fire and what happened in the middle.
"Your mother's going to be alright," A fireman told the Mills siblings after a while. "She just needs some oxygen, but she'll be just fine. Especially after being saved by Miss Swan."
"Go, Emma." Evie whispered to herself in amazement.
"Did Emma really rescue our mom?" Henry asked.
"Yes, she did," The fireman told them. "Let this be a lesson to you two to never play with matches."
Evie rolled her eyes playfully at the grade school fire safety rule.
"We won't, sir," Henry promised. "And we don't plan to ever smoke. Right, Evie?"
"Right, Henry," Evie nodded. "I'm just glad that Emma saved Mom, even after all of the chaos and drama."
"You're telling me." Henry agreed.
Though, both siblings were unaware that Regina overheard them and was frustrated to be saved by Emma Swan of all people. The Mills siblings then went to go and see the crowd who looked amazed at the night they had heard about and barely witnessed.
"Did you really rescue Regina?" Ms. Blanchard asked Emma.
"She did! The fireman said it," Henry said as he rushed by with Evie right behind him. "They saw it."
"That's what we've been hearing at least." Evie added with a small smile.
"You are a hero." Ruby told Emma out of amazement.
"We should see if they have a picture of the rescue." Ms. Blanchard suggested.
"We could make campaign posters." Granny added.
"Oh, people would love that!" Archie beamed. "That's a great idea. Wait, so..."
The group then suddenly walked away, leaving Emma, Evie, and Henry alone.
"This is how good wins," Emma then told the siblings. "You do something good and people see it, and then they want to help you."
"Maybe you're right and maybe wicked doesn't always win." Evie smirked playfully.
"You see, Henry?" Emma replied with a small smile. "We don't have to fight dirty." she then put her hand on the boy's shoulder before she soon noticed the same fabric that Mr. Gold was preparing in his shop when she spoke with him and soon decided she had to pay a little visit.
"What is it, Emma?" Evie asked softly. "Do you see something weird?"
"Excuse me... There's something I need to do." Emma then said, suddenly sounding urgent before she walked off suddenly.
"...Should we go with her?" Henry asked Evie.
"I think she has some important business to do alone right now," Evie suggested. "Come on. Let's go see Mom."
"Okay." Henry nodded before the paramedics began to leave Regina.
Soon, Emma made it over to the shop as Mr. Gold was wiping his hands clean after Ben began to look like a zombie.
"And so you see, that's all 32 Kings of England and there's even a song to help you memorize for a test whenever it comes along, other than just watching that King Arthur movie you loved when you were little." Mr. Gold smiled at his son.
"KILL ME!" Ben cried out, sounding exhausted and beyond bored to death.
Soon, the door came open and in came a certain blonde woman which made both of them look over.
"Loads of visitors today," Mr. Gold noted as he glanced over before she then slammed the door which made him grit his teeth slightly. "Do hope you're not going to break my little bell." he then warned Emma.
"You set the fire." Emma glared at him.
"I've been right here with my son, Miss Swan." Mr. Gold clarified.
"Take a whiff," Emma glared as she brought out the fabric she found at the mansion. "It smells like your sheep crap oil. Turns out it's flammable."
"Oh. Are you sure?" Mr. Gold replied before he brought out Ben's science textbook and made him hold onto it. "Here, practice. I'll quiz you in a moment before we go back home."
Ben mumbled as he took the book before he went to the back room and put on his headphones to concentrate.
"There's some construction working on at City Hall at the moment," Mr. Gold then told Emma once he could continue. "There's loads of flammable solvents used in construction."
"Why did you do it?" Emma demanded firmly.
"If I did it," Mr. Gold retorted before he shrugged along. "If I did it, that would be because you cannot win without something big. Something like, uh... Oh, I don't know. Being the hero in a fire?"
"How could you even know I'd be there at the right time?" Emma then asked him.
"Maybe Regina's not the only one with eyes and ears in this town," Mr. Gold replied calmly. "Or maybe... I'm just intuitive; were I involved."
"I could've run and left her there." Emma challenged.
"Not the type." Mr. Gold denied it.
"I can't go along with this." Emma then said out of frustration.
"You just did," Mr. Gold replied. "This is just the price of election, Miss Swan." he then added.
"A price I'm not willing to pay. Find another sucker." Emma then said before she went to leave the shop then.
"Okay, go ahead, expose me, but if you do, just think about what you'll be exposing and what you'll be walking away from." Mr. Gold then told her in warning before catching her just as she was about to leave. "Oh, yes. And, um... Who you might be disappointing." he then added.
Emma glared before she stormed out of the shop and slammed the door shut as the bell jingled again. Ben flinched as the door slamming made him lower his headphones a bit before he poked his head out from the backroom curtain.
"Now then, Benjamin, since we're alone," Mr. Gold smirked as he leaned against the table. "Why don't you recite to me The Periodic Table of Elements in alphabetical order?"
"Why do you torture me so much?!" Ben complained.
Mr. Gold let out a small, though still steely-eyed glare to get Ben to lose his attitude and make it quick.
Ben then grumbled before he took a deep breath and began to recite the elements he knew. "Actinium... Aluminum... Americium..."
Mr. Gold smirked and nodded as he listened to Ben's recital for him.
After a while, there was a debate between Sidney and Emma for the Sheriff job as Jordan spread the word in school. Of course, everybody already knew by now what had happened based on what their parents talked about. Evie looked and seemed to be distracted about something. She did think a little bit about her dream as she looked at her diary after she had written it down as it seemed important. Plus she thought about Graham being gone and that just made her feel sick to her stomach. She wasn't sure what she wanted, but she wanted things to change in Storybrooke as well. She puffed out her cheeks and soon got ready to go with Henry over to Granny's Diner after the debate that happened while they were gone since they were too young to have the time or patience to be part of the town council, especially with their mother as the mayor.
"I'm sorry you aren't feeling too good, Evie," Henry said. "Will you at least come talk to Emma with me?"
"Of course, Henry," Evie replied. "She might need some company right about now anyway."
"You could use some too," Henry said. "Plus this might be good for you to hear too."
Evie gave a small smile as they came into the diner as Emma was having some drinks in frustration.
"Another?" Ruby asked as she came over to Emma.
"Oh, hell yes." Emma nodded.
Henry and Evie soon came into the diner and then sat on both sides of Emma.
"Hey, guys." Emma greeted the Mills siblings.
Henry then took out his backpack and he pulled a walkie-talkie out of the bag to give it to Emma.
"What's this for?" Emma then asked.
Evie smiled warmly as Herny was now on the verge to cheering up.
"You stood up to Mr. Gold," Henry explained to Emma. "It's pretty amazing."
"Well, he did something illegal." Emma explained.
"That's what heroes do; expose stuff like that," Henry replied. "I shouldn't have given up on Operation: Cobra."
"Oh, Henry, I'm glad that you've got your groove back." Evie smiled.
"It never left," Henry smiled back. "I just needed some help to see it. Seeing Ebony really helped."
"Well, we could see her again sometime with Doug if you want." Evie then offered.
"I think I'd like that." Henry beamed.
Emma smiled warmly, glad that the siblings were in a good mood now. Then suddenly, in came Regina, Sidney, and Jordan.
"I thought I might find you here. With a drink. And my children." Regina noted firmly as she saw her children with the visible alcohol.
"Mom..." Evie murmured.
"Here to card me, Officer?" Emma asked flatly.
"Well, not at all," Sidney replied. "In fact, I think I'll join you."
"Here? I don't know," Emma said to him. "I think they're setting up a back room for the victory party."
"Oh, well, you'll have to tell me what that's like." Sidney then told her.
"Wait, what?" Evie asked. "Does this mean what I think it means, Mom?"
"Yes... Congratulations... Sheriff Swan." Regina said as she sharply exhaled before she pulled out the sheriff's badge and placed it on the counter.
"Did you know about this?" Henry asked Evie.
Evie shook her head as she just shrugged and felt confused about the situation right now, especially with what they had heard. Soon then, the people from Storybrooke and their descendants started to file into the diner.
"It was a very close vote, but people really seem to like the idea of a Sheriff brave enough to stand up to Mr. Gold." Regina then explained.
"Are you joking?" Emma asked Regina.
"She doesn't joke." Sidney and Evie said together, though Regina gave her daughter a look for saying such a thing.
"You didn't pick a great friend in Mr. Gold, Miss Swan, but he does make a superlative enemy." Regina replied.
"Enjoy that," Jordan added with a small smirk. "Especially you, Evie."
Evie firmly pouted and narrowed her eyes in response. "I think I need some air." she then huffed out in frustration before storming out of the diner.
"Evie? Wait!" Regina called.
Evie just slammed the door behind her and she kept on walking.
Regina watched Evie go before she sighed and shook her head. "That girl..." she then murmured.
"She's not perfect or well-behaved like I am, huh, Daddy?" Jordan asked innocently.
"You're perfect, my little newshound." Sidney smiled sweetly.
"Give me a break." Regina rolled her eyes at Sidney and Jordan's behavior.
"Man..." Evie groaned as she walked down the sidewalk. "I need someone to talk to... I don't know who I could talk to though... My family's here, but they wouldn't help... Henry's too young to understand... Mom's too frustrating to understand... I would talk to Graham, but he's not here..." she then sighed and looked up to the sky. "Why did I take him for granted? He wasn't my dad, but he felt like one for as long as I can even remember."
The stars then twinkled like diamonds in the clear night sky as Evie blinked with tears in her eyes.
"You said you'd always be there for me!" Evie soon yelled out into the night sky, seeming to try to talk to Graham as he was probably in a better place now. "...But you're not. And it's because of me," she then said as she cupped her face and seemed to let out a small cry. "It's my fault. It's my fault."
"Evie...?" Ben's voice asked.
"...Ben, if that's you, I swear to God..." Evie muttered before she looked up and over, seeing her childhood best friend. "Oh... Hi."
"Hey, Evie..." Ben chuckled with a bashful smile. "We gotta stop running into each other like this."
"Yeah... I guess..." Evie said with a small smile back. "...Well, I gotta go."
"Oh... Right now?" Ben asked.
"Well, yeah..." Evie replied. "It's not like we had plans together anyway, right?"
"Oh... It's okay, I just thought we could... Uh... No... Never mind." Ben spoke up before looking away softly.
"What?" Evie demanded.
"Just forget it, Evie..." Ben then said as he turned away.
"You can tell me." Evie insisted.
"I said not now." Ben glared suddenly, almost looking like his father.
Evie raised her eyebrows before she firmly pouted. "Well, you brought it up." she then scoffed a little.
"Well, I didn't mean to," Ben said. "Just get out of my way. I gotta meet up with my dad anyway."
"Okay... I will..." Evie rolled her eyes. "Jeez, you were fine a few minutes ago. Did I do something wrong?"
"It's nothing, Evie..." Ben sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind too and I can't talk about my thoughts with you right now."
"Well... I have a lot of thoughts on my mind too..." Evie muttered. "I need to talk to someone... But I guess not you."
"I'm really sorry, Evie, I just have a lot bugging me... Especially about school..." Ben sighed.
"It's okay, Ben... Just don't turn all Beast on me like that..." Evie said before she walked away to a certain direction.
"...I'm sorry." Ben whispered before he looked and saw Evie leave before he sighed sharply and decided to go meet up with his father as promised.
"Get in the car, Benjamin," Mr. Gold said as he closed and locked the shop door. "Then you can go to bed and get some rest. It's a school night after all."
"Yes, sir..." Ben nodded. "Are you still going to talk to Miss Swan before she goes to sleep too?"
"Yes..." Mr. Gold confirmed.
Ben let out a small moan.
"...You can rest your eyes in the car if you want to," Mr. Gold decided. "I think you've been working too hard lately."
Ben then gave his father a small smile.
"I care about you, my son," Mr. Gold smiled back before they got into his car. "I'll try to make this quick."
Ben sighed a little before he rested his head against the window as the car was soon driving along and soon coming to the Sheriff's station.
"You can come in if you want," Mr. Gold offered before facing Ben. "If you promise to-"
Ben was leaning against the window and snoring with his eyes shut.
"...Behave," Mr. Gold said before he decided to just let Ben get some rest as he left the car and locked the doors. "I won't be long, son." he then whispered.
Emma was soon inside the Sheriff's station and she soon had some company. She looked at the coat rack to see the official sheriff's jacket and it looked tempting, but soon, the company distracted her instantly.
"The Sheriff's jacket," Mr. Gold smirked as he seemed to appear from nowhere. "I thought you might want it after all."
Emma gave him a warning look. "You do know I'm armed, right?" she then warned him.
"It's all part of the act, my dear," Mr. Gold smirked innocently. "Political theatre in an actual theatre. I knew no one was going to vote for you unless we gave you some kind of extraordinary quality, and I'm afraid saving old Regina's arse from the fire just wasn't going to do that. We had to give you a higher form of bravery. They had to see you defy me and they did."
Emma began to look alarmed and concerned. "...No way. There's no way you planned that." she then said in shock.
Mr. Gold gave her a bit of a look. "Everyone's afraid of Regina, but they're more afraid of me," he then advised. "By standing up to me, you won them over. It was the only way."
"You knew I'd agree." Emma then said.
"Oh, yeah. I know how to recognize a desperate soul." Mr. Gold smirked.
"...Why did you do this?" Emma demanded calmly.
"We made a deal some time back, Miss Swan," Mr. Gold replied. "We established that you owed me a favor. I know that can be a bad feeling: owing someone. Now that you're Sheriff, I'm sure we'll find some way for you to pay back what you owe me. Congratulations." he then added before he then mysteriously left.
Emma watched him go as she now had a lot more on her mind now than ever.
Ben soon snorted after seeing something weird in his dream before he looked around, finding himself inside his father's car. He then looked to the driver's car seat before sighing and he then took out the picture he had found in his father's shop and was still curious about it, wondering more about its meaning and origin. He felt like he needed to talk to someone about something so he decided to get out what he could to the nearest person who would come his way, whether they would understand his hidden pain or not.
"Sorry that took so long," Mr. Gold said as he climbed into the driver's seat of his car and came to drive himself and Ben back home. "I had a very important business to discuss with Miss Swan. You understand, right?" he then faced his son with a small smile.
Ben had a bit of a firm frown on his face before he wiped his eye as he held the paper in his hands close to his chest.
"...Are you going to answer me, Benjamin?" Mr. Gold asked a bit sternly as he expected a "Yes, sir" in response to that.
"Dad, do I have a brother?" Ben then suddenly demanded.
"A... A... W-What...?" Mr. Gold asked a bit shallowly as his eyes widened once he gripped the steering wheel.
"A brother," Ben repeated, emphasizing the word. "Tell me the truth, Dad."
"A... A brother...?" Mr. Gold asked. "What would make you ask such a-"
Ben then interrupted his father and brought out the paper he had found which was a drawing of a boy who looked around the age of 14. He looked very familiar and unfamiliar at the same time and noticed how much the boy looked a bit like his father.
"...Oh." Mr. Gold then said softly and wearily.
"Who is he, Dad?" Ben demanded. "Is he my brother?"
"It's... It's complicated, Benjamin," Mr. Gold said as he started the car. "I'm not sure how I can tell you..."
"Is he gone? Did he die before I was born?" Ben then demanded as he refused to stop looking at his father until his questions were answered. "Is that even what happened to my mother?"
"Y-Your mother... Your mother is a different story..." Mr. Gold said softly as he tried to dodge the question, but it seemed impossible. "Y-Your brother... Your bother is an even c-complicated story."
"Are you going to tell me?" Ben demanded.
"...I will, someday, Benjamin, but not now," Mr. Gold said as calmly as he could before he began to drive them back home. "Let's just go home."
"Why not now, Dad?" Ben glared. "You've been hiding things from me my whole life, haven't you?"
"Not your whole life, Benjamin..." Mr. Gold said as calmly as he could. "We'll talk about this later."
"Why not now?" Ben glared as he crossed his arms. "What else is there anyway?"
"We will talk about this later, Benjamin, end of discussion!" Mr. Gold glared back as he forced his son to look at him. "I don't know where this attitude came from, but it's not funny and it's not cute either. I am your father and you will still treat me with respect and I want what's best for you and I don't want to lose you just like I lost-" he then stopped himself.
Ben gave his father a soft, but then curious look. Mr. Gold just looked at him before letting go of him and put both hands on the wheel before they would ride back home.
"...Dad?" Ben spoke up softly.
"Benjamin, please, we will talk about this later," Mr. Gold said as calmly as he could as he took them back home. "You have a lot of studying to do when you get home. You want to go to a good college, don't you?"
Ben sighed before he looked down at his feet a little.
"...Don't you?" Mr. Gold then prompted his young son.
"...Let's just go home, Dad..." Ben said softly as he turned away and rubbed the back of his head.
"...Very well then," Mr. Gold said before nodding. "...We'll talk about this another time though, okay? ...I have a lot on my mind right now."
"Okay..." Ben then said as she looked out the window. "Sure, Dad... Sure."
Mr. Gold nodded before he took a deep breath and continued to ride him and his teenage son back home. The rest of the ride was quiet as they only heard the car clicking occasionally and riding down the road as well as indistinct and passing chatter among people who were out that night. Ben glanced out the window though as he could had sworn he saw Evie visiting the cemetery as the car rode along. She was probably saying goodbye to Graham again though.