At Gold's Pawn Shop, Mr. Gold was straightening up for the evening, putting away his gardening tools, as well as running a duster over his various items. He was humming something to himself, what almost sounded like a scottish lullaby, and just going about his evening. That is, until a large explosion across the street shook everything. He stumbled slightly, catching himself on a display case as several car alarms went off outside. Gold turned around, his eyes going wide when he saw Intrinsic Things on fire.
"Damn!" he let out, hobbling outside.
He made his way across the street as fast as he could, making it to the door. It had thankfully been blown out by the explosion, so he made it inside easily. Unfortunately, everything was ablaze, and the entire second floor had completely caved in, making it nearly impossible to see anything.
"Eve!" he shouted, coughing from all the smoke in the air. "EVE!"
He then saw a hand sticking out from under some of the rubble. He moved over to her, kneeling down and trying to lift some of the rubble. It was extremely heavy, and he was having trouble, but he eventually just shoved his walking stick in, using it as a lever. Once he got enough of it off, he could see Eve clearly. Her clothes were singed, she was covered in ash, and there was a large gash on her forehead, which seemed to have rendered her unconscious. He grabbed her hand and began pulling her out, dragging her to the exit. Once he got her outside, he laid her out on the grass as a crowd began to gather.
"Somebody call the fire department!" he shouted, sounding almost desperate before turning to Eve and speaking quietly. "You're not dying me. Not like this. Not after everything. So don't you dare!"
He continued to kneel by her side as ambulances and the fire department showed up, gripping his cane so tight his knuckles turned white.
The Enchanted Forest. Many centuries ago…
Inside his quaint little hovel, Rumplestiltskin sat at a spinning wheel. This was not the feared Dark One the world would come to tremble at the mere mention of. Instead, this was a poor spinster, barely making enough money to feed himself or his young son, Baelfire. As he worked tirelessly, knowing every spindle of wool counted, the door to the small hovel was thrown open as a young, thirteen year old boy came running in.
"Papa! Papa!" he called out. "They've come for Moraine."
Hearing this, Rumplestiltskin rose from his spinning wheel, grabbing the large, rough stick that served as his walking stick. He followed his son outside, where soldiers where taking a young girl to a man on horseback.
"No! No! Please!" the girl's father pleaded.
"Don't take her!" the girl's mother begged. "You can't take her! She's my baby! Don't take my baby!"
"Nonsense," the man replied smugly. "She's a fine, strong girl. She'll make a fine soldier."
"It's a mistake!" the father insisted. "She's turning fourteen! Only FOURTEEN!'
"At orders of the Duke! The Ogre Wars have taken their toll this season. More troops will turn the tide."
There was a murmur amongst the gathered villagers as they processed this information. Among those nervous words, Baelfire turned to his father nervously.
"They lowered the age again," he realized.
"I know," Rumplestiltskin replied, his voice trembling.
"Take her," the man demanded, eying Moraine with a glimmer that made Rumple shudder. "She'll ride with me."
"No!" the mother sobbed as Moraine was pulled onto the man's horse.
"No, you can't have her!" the father snapped.
Both of them drew knives, attempting to kill the man and reclaim their child. However, a distant figure cloaked in darkness stopped them, using Dark Magic to choke them and make them drop their weapons. The man smirked at the display.
"The Dark One seems to think I can."
"HORDOR!" an angry woman's voice snapped.
Everyone turned, gasping at the sight of Nicolette Flamel standing at the entrance of the village square. She glared at the man on the horse, clearly Hordor, and gathered golden light in her hand.
"Have the Dark One release them immediately," she demanded.
Hordor relented, turning to the Dark One and nodding. The Dark One lowered the spell and the two parents dropped. When this was over, Hordor and Nicholette stared daggers at one another.
"Don't think you hold any power over me, witch," he snarled. "One of these days, you will cross a line, and I'll be there to light your stake."
"Greater men then you have tried, Hordor. And never forget where all your power truly lies, and how easily it can be taken from you..."
Hordor snorted, then flicked the reins of his horse and took off, taking Moraine with him. The rest of the soldiers left and Nicholette turned to the parents, checking on them and comforting them. Most of the villagers just watched, those with older children clinging to them tightly. Among them was Rumple, who gripped the shawl of his terrified son.
"My birthday's in three days," Bae realized. "They'll come for me in three days."
"We'll find a way out of this, Bae" Rumple reassured, holding him closer. "We'll find a way."
It had been two weeks since the explosion at Intrinsic Things, as well as the death of Sheriff Graham. In that time, whatever moments Mr. Gold wasn't in his shop running things, he was in the hospital, looking over a prone Eve. The woman was covered in bandages, but was seemingly still unconscious. Dr. Whale changed out her IV, then noticed her amulet was still around her neck. He went to reach for it, but Mr. Gold caught his wrist.
"No, no," he insisted. "That stays on."
"If she rolls over in her sleep, she could-"
"It. Stays."
"... alright," Whale relented, backing off.
Whale then walked off, leaving Gold to continue watching over her. As he did, he caught sight of Henry peeking in from just beyond the door. Putting on a disarming smile, he turned to address the boy.
"Hello Henry," he greeted. "Come on in."
Reluctantly, Henry came inside, looking over Eve.
"Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.
"I wouldn't worry too much. She's tough, our Miss Flemming. She'll pull through."
Henry looked down at Eve, his eyes full of defeat and hopelessness.
"It's my fault..." he said quietly. "I shouldn't have dragged her into Operation Cobra..."
He hugged his backpack like a security blanket, and Gold spotted the corner of the storybook peeking out from the slightly opened zipper.
"Henry," he spoke up again, gaining the boy's attention. "Would you mind if I borrowed your book? Reading it to Mr. Nolan helped him when he was in the hospital, and I thought maybe the same could happen for Miss Flemming. I promise I'll return it when I'm done. You have my word."
Surprisingly, Henry willingly opened his backpack and handed over the book.
"You can have it," he told the man. "My mom won't look for it with you. And right now, I don't want it..."
"Thank you, Henry. Oh, before I forget. The next time you see your mother- Miss Swan, I mean, could you tell her to stop by the shop?"
"What for?" Henry asked.
"I merely wish to speak with her, that's all. So please, if you don't mind."
With a shrug, Henry left the hospital. Gold watched him go, then looked down at the storybook in his hand. He placed it on Eve's stomach, resting her hands on.
"Do watch over this for a moment, my dear," he told her as he grabbed his cane and stood up. "I need to tend to some business, but I'll be back shortly."
With that, he too walked out of the hospital.
…
A couple hours later, Gold was sitting in the back room of his shop, working on waterproofing the pages of an old journal in his collection. As he worked, he heard the sound of his doorbell, indicating someone was coming in.
"Gold!" Emma called out. "You in here?"
"In the back, Miss Swan!" he called back
Emma stepped past the curtain separating the shop from the rear workshop. Once she did, she caught the scent of the solution Gold was using for his project and almost immediately recoiled.
"Ugh… what is that smell?" she gagged.
"It's called lanolin," he explained, not looking up from his work. "It's used for waterproofing."
"It smells like livestock..."
"That's because it's a special chemical found in sheep's pelts. It's the reason they repel water."
"Right..." Emma gagged again, covering her nose and mouth. "Well… Henry told me you wanted to see me… If you wanna talk about that quickly, or… outside?"
"Yes, of course," Gold replied, getting up and approaching Emma. "I just wanted to express my condolences, really. The sheriff was a good man. We're fortunate Miss Flemming didn't suffer a similar fate."
Emma said nothing, just looking down and to the side. As she did, Gold took notice that she still wore the deputy's badge on her belt.
"Still wearing the deputy's badge, I see," he pointed out. "It's just, he's been gone for two weeks, and I believe after two weeks of acting as sheriff, the job becomes yours."
"Yeah, I guess… I'm just not in a hurry. So, um… thank your for the kind words."
She started to go off when he spoke up again.
"I have his things."
Emma stopped in her tracks, turning as Gold emerged from the back.
"What?
"The sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my invitation, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."
"I… I don't need anything."
"As you wish. I'll give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family."
"Not sure about that."
Gold cracked a small smile as he reached behind his counter and pulled a large box up into view..
"No love lost there, I see. Not that I blame you. Regina is a..." he laughed slightly. "Well, there are many words to describe her. But look, I fear that all of this stuff is heading directly for the rubbish, so you should really take something. Perhaps his jacket?"
He pulled it out and offered it to her, but she shook her head.
"I have one, thanks."
"Then how about these?" This time, Gold pulled out a pair of radios. "Your boy might like these. You could play together. And frankly, I fear with what happened to the Sheriff and Miss Flemming's… accident, he's been rather out of sorts. A gift from his mother might be just the thing he needs."
"I don't…"
"Please. They-" a rare moment of emotion broke through Gold's usual veil of control. "They grow up so fast, and you've already missed out on so much. Trust me, enjoy these moments while you can… you never know how many you have left."
Emma took all that in, finally deciding to take the radios.
"Thanks."
"Just enjoy them with your boy. The time together is precious, you know. That's the thing about children. Before you know it, you lose them."
…
Sometime later, Emma went and found Henry at his castle. He was sitting, looking out at the ocean as Emma came and sat next to him. She offered him one of the radios, but he didn't even seem to notice.
"Brought you something," she said, continuing to hold it out. "Thought we could use them for Operation Cobra."
"Thanks," Henry replied blankly.
"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, sliding the radios into his backpack. "I know what happened to Graham and Eve's Hobby Shop burning down was a lot, but neither of them would want you to wallow like this. Besides, Eve will be okay."
"Maybe… but it's my fault they got hurt. I got them involved by messing with the curse, and look what happened."
"Hey, what happened to them wasn't because of Operation Cobra. Eve's shop had a faulty gas line, and Graham… he suffered from a massive heart attack. They did an autopsy and it was natural causes, and engineers checked the shop and found the pipes were long past the need to be replaced."
"Okay, whatever," Henry told her. "You don't believe. Good. That should keep my mom from trying to kill you too."
"You're worried about me?"
"She killed Graham because he was good. And you're good."
"Henry-"
"Good loses. Good always loses. Because good has to play fair. Evil doesn't. And she's evil." He stood up, grabbing his backpack. "Let's stop Operation Cobra for awhile… I don't wanna upset her anymore..."
With that, he turned and left the playground.
…
Later that day, Emma was in the Sheriff's office, looking down at the sheriff's badge. She picked it up, and was about to attach it to her jacket when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. She turned, not surprised to see Regina standing there.
"That is not for you," Regina declared, pointing at the badge.
"It's been two weeks. Promotion is automatic."
"Unless the mayor appoints someone else within that time period. Which I'm doing today."
"You're kidding. Who's the new Sheriff?"
"After due reflection, Sidney Glass."
Emma snorted.
"Sidney Glass… from the Daily Mirror? How does that even make sense."
"Well, he's covered the Sheriff's office for as long as anyone can remember."
"And he'll do whatever you want him to," Emma countered, crossing her arms. "You just cannot stand the fact that things have been getting better around here, can you?
"Better?" Regina replied, hands clenching slightly. "Are you referring to Graham's death as 'better'? Or the hobby shop burning down as 'better'?"
"You and I both know that is not what I meant, and don't go acting like you ever cared about either Graham, or Eve."
"Graham was a good man, Miss Swan. He made this town safe. And, forgive me for saying this, you have not earned the right of wearing his badge."
"Graham picked me to be deputy."
"He was wrong."
"No, he knew what he was doing. He freed this office from your leash. You're not getting it back."
Regina snorted, taking the Sheriff's badge right out of Emma's hands.
"Actually, I just did." With a bit of sadistic glee, Regina leaned in. "Miss Swan, you're fired."
With a triumphant twist on her heels, she stalked out of the Sheriff's office, taking the badge with her.
...
That night, Emma was sitting in Mary Margaret's loft, blaring loud music from her phone with a bottle of scotch on the table next to her. In her lap was a toaster, or at least the mangled corpse of one. She was going at it with a kitchen knife before just discarding the blade and banging the broken jalopy on the counter. Coming home from the school, Mary Margaret walked in on the scene and was understandably confused. She approached, turning the music off first and gaining Emma's attention.
"Toaster broken?" she asked.
"It wasn't when I started. Pretty sure it is now." Emma grabbed the knife again, continuing her attempts at dismantling the thing. :I just needed to hit something."
"What's going on?"
"Regina fired me so she can put one of her own puppets in as sheriff. That's my job!"
"Never heard you so passionate about it before," Mary Margaret noted. "What happened."
"I dunno," Emma admitted finally giving the poor toaster a break. "I just know I want it back."
"Well there must be a reason."
"Honestly, I think I just want to beat her."
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Emma went to open it, seeing Mr. Gold standing in front of her, a large binder under his arm.
"Good evening, Miss Swan," he greeted. "Sorry for the intrusion. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
While stunned by Gold's sudden appearance, Emma did turn to Mary Margaret as if asking for privacy. Getting the hint, Mary Margaret straightened up.
"I'll let you two talk."
She beat a hasty retreat towards the rear of the loft as Mr. Gold walked in.
"I heard about what happened," he began. "Such an injustice."
"Yeah, well what's done is done."
"Spoken like a true fighter."
"Gold, I know that there's very little chance of me winning if I try and go against her. She's the mayor and I'm, well… me.
"Miss Swan, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things. Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more." Gold smirked. "How would you like a benefactor?"
"A benefactor?"
Gold nodded, then set the large binder onto the dining room table. Emma glanced at it, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Why are you carrying the town charter with you?" she asked.
"Let's just say that the mayor's authority isn't as absolute as she thinks." His smirk returned in full force. "That's the thing with given power… it's never as great as you think it is."
The Enchanted Forest. Many centuries ago…
It was the dead of night when Rumple hobbled over to his sleeping son.
"Bae. Bae, wake up. Wake up son."
Baelfire slowly started waking up.
"We're going now," Rumple told him.
"Papa?"
"We're going now, son. Come on. Come on."
…
Father and son left their house, walking through the woods, the lights of the Ogre War on the horizon.
"It feels wrong to run away," Bae confessed.
"Well, it's worse to die, son. I'm not having you taken away to the Ogre wars."
As they walked, they passed a beggar sitting by the side of the road.
"Alms for the poor?" he asked.
Rumple reached into a small sack on his belt, giving the beggar a few coins.
"Thank you..." the beggar said as the two moved on.
"Are you sure there's no other way?" Bae asked.
"Oh, I can't lose you, Bae," Rumple insisted, voice trembling from emotion. "You're all I've got left, son. You don't understand what war is like - what they do to you."
Suddenly, the sound of approaching horses rang out, much to Rumple's dismay.
"Quick, hide! In the ditch! Hide! Go!"
Stop right there!" Hordor called out as he and his men rode right up to them. "What are you doing on the kings road?"
"We have some wool to sell at the fair in Longborough, sir."
Hordor looked down at the pair, eyes falling on Rumple as he dismounted his horse.
"I know you… don't I?" he questioned, making Rumple shudder. "What was your name? Hm? Spindleshanks? Threadwhistle? Hobblefoot?"
"His name is Rumplestiltskin!" Bae spoke up in defense of his father.
"Hush, boy," Rumple hissed.
"Rumple- ah. The man who ran. Is this your boy?" Rumple said nothing. "How old is he?" he then turned to Bae. "what's your name?"
"I'm Baelfire, and I'm thirteen," Bae answered.
"When's your birthday?"
"In two days time."
"Hush, boy!" Rumple tried again, looking on the verge of tears.
"Did you teach him how to run as well, Rumplestiltskin?" Hordor jeered, stepping forward and enjoying how Rumple shrank under his gaze before turning to Bae. "Did he tell you? Did he tell you how he ran and the ogres turned the tide of the battle, and all the others were killed, and he returned home to a wife who could not bear the sight of him?"
"Please…" Rumple pleaded.
"You see, women do not like to be married to cowards."
"Please don't speak to my boy like that."
Hordor smirked, then gave a derisive snort and turned back to his men.
"It's treason to avoid service. Take the boy now."
"No, no!" Rumple begged, stumbling forward. "What do you want?!"
"What do I want? You have no money, no influence, no land, no title, no power. The truth is, all you really have… is fealty. Kiss my boot."
There was a moment of nervous silence as Rumple just stared at Hordor.
"I-I… I don't understand-"
"You asked my price," Hordor smirked, sticking out one of his feet slightly. "Kiss my boot."
"Not in front of my boy..." Rumple whimpered.
"Kiss my boot!" Hordor shouted, startling Rumple and making him fall.
Seeing that he had no other options, Rumple knelt down and kissed the man's boot. Hordor smirked, about to kick Rumple when a golden light surrounded his foot.
"That's enough, Hordor!"
Everyone turned to see Nicholette appearing, the beggar hiding behind her, having clearly gone to get her for help. She used her hold on Hordor's foot to push him back before going over to Rumple and Bae.
"You've tormented them enough. Leave them be."
"You'll pay for this, witch!" Hordor snapped.
Nicholette just summoned more power in her hand, her amulet glowing.
"I said, leave."
"Fine," Hordor relented. "But I'll be back in two days time. For him."
With that, Hordor and his men rode off, allowing Nicolette to help Rumple back to his feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "I came as soon as I could."
"Yes," Rumple replied. "Thank you."
"Thank my friend here," Nicholette insisted, gesturing to the beggar. "He told me of what Hordor was doing."
"Come on," the beggar insisted, grabbing Rumple's walking stick. "Let us take you home."
"We cannot even begin to repay you for your help," Bae told them.
"Don't worry about that," the beggar told the boy. "Just provide us with a small meal, and perhaps we can be your benefactors."
"Easy there, old friend," Nicholette warned. "Let's just get them home for now. That kind of talk can wait for the warmth of a hearth."
With that, the motley group made their way back to Rumplestiltskin's hovel.
At the Mayor's Office the very next day, Regina was giving a press conference to announce Sidney's appointment as sheriff.
"Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes," she spoke. "That's why Sidney Glass is my choice for the post of sheriff. This man has put the needs of Storybrooke above his own for as long as any of us can remember as chief editor of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror. Please welcome your new sheriff."
The gathered media began applauding as Regina went to pin the badge on him.
"Hang on a second!" Emma called out, storming into the office.
"Oh Miss Swan," Regina spoke up, shaking her head. "This is not appropriate."
"The only thing not appropriate is this ceremony," Emma argued, turning to the media. "She does not have the power to appoint him."
Regina scoffed.
"The town charter clearly states the Mayor shall appoint-"
"A candidate," Emma cut off. "You could appoint a candidate. It calls for an election."
"The term 'candidate' is applied loosely."
"No, it's not. It requires a vote. And guess what, Madam Mayor? I'm running."
"Fine. So is Sidney."
"I am?" Sidney questioned before Regina turned around and gave him a look. "I am," he said a bit more confidently.
"With my full support," Regina remarked before speaking a bit lower and glaring at Emma. "I guess we'll learn a little something about the will of the people."
"I guess we will."
…
Back at the hospital, Gold was still sitting next to Eve, reading from Henry's book. He paused when he heard the door being thrown open, carefully covering the book with a blanket as Regina stalked over.
"Hello Regina," he greeted. "If you're going to rage, to be careful. There's a lot of sensitive equipment you could damage."
"You found a loophole in the town charter," she accused, getting right to the point.
"Legal documents, contracts if you like, have always been a fascination of mine."
"Yes, you love to trifle with technicalities," Regina growled, glancing around the room. "Must admit, I'm surprised to see you here. You and Eve were never close."
"No, but as it turns out, I'm her emergency contact. I suppose that makes me responsible for her."
"You hate her," Regina insisted. "She's your rival. You should be happy she's out of your way, so why are you here?"
"It's true we don't share that many things in common. But those that we do… well, that's our business and ours alone."
Regina straightened up, her eyes narrowing.
"Just what is your game, Gold?"
"What game are you referring to?"
"Don't play coy with me. What do you get out of this? What would make you decide to side with Miss Swan and Miss Flemming?"
"I'm on no one's side, Regina. I merely have an interest in the common good, and ensuring that everyone gets what they deserve."
"What exactly does that mean?"
"It means… that Miss Flemming should get her rest, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"I'm not done he-"
"Please."
Regina stopped mid sentence, fists clenching as she reluctantly walked out of the room. Once she was gone, Gold uncovered the book and continued where he left off.
"Now, where were we… ah yes. Rumplestilskin brought the beggar and Nicholette back to his home, putting his son to bed before preparing the meal he had promised his rescuers..."
Enchanted Forest, Many centuries ago.
Rumple doled out three bowls of stew, passing one to the beggar and the other to Nicholette. He took a third for himself, sitting down miserably.
"Another day gone..." he lamented. "There'll be no fleeing now."
"So you were trying to save your son from the Ogre Wars," Nicholette said, sipping at the stew. "Going so far as to kiss a man's boot if it meant he remained a boy for a bit longer."
"He's my son. He's all I have."
"If fleeing's out of the question, you need to find another way," the beggar insisted. "You need to choose a different path."
"Choose?" Rumple repealed. "What choice do I have?"
"Everyone has a choice," the beggar insisted.
"He's right," Nicholette agreed. "No one is above choice. We choose who we become."
"Not me," Rumple dismissed. "I'm the village coward. The only choice I have is which corner to hide in. I'm lame, friendless… Bae's the only thing I've got. And they're going to take him away from me. If they take him away, I would truly become dust."
Nicholette mulled on those words, then she set her bowl aside.
"You truly would do anything to protect your son, wouldn't you?"
Rumple just nodded, and Nicholette let out a breath.
"Then… what if I told you that I know the source of Hordor's power?"
"Please, don't joke with me."
"I'm serious. I mean, why do you think that someone as powerful as the Dark One would work for the likes of him."
"Listen to her, friend," the beggar insisted. "She knows the Dark One. She's been around his ilk since the beginning."
"Really?" Rumple questioned.
"Really," Nicolette confirmed. "You see, for many years, so many that I long ago lost count, I was tasked with keeping the darkness of the Dark One at bay. It is my duty to keep them from plunging the world into chaos. Thankfully, the power of the Dark One is not absolute. He can be controlled."
"How?" Rumple questioned, his voice almost a whisper.
"A relic known as the Dagger of Kris, though these days, it's usually just referred to as the Dark One Dagger. Whomever holds it controls the Dark One, and can summon them at will by calling the name inscribed on the blade."
"But to keep a man like the Dark One as a slave? No, I… I can't. I'd be terrified."
"Listen, I'm not asking you to hold it forever. I merely need your help taking the dagger back."
"Back?" Rumple repeated.
"Hordor holds the dagger, and has it locked away. I have attempted to liberate it, but it is enchanted so I cannot take it. Only a mortal man can. That is all I ask. Help me steal the dagger, and I promise that I will use the Dark One to protect your son."
"I- I..."
"Think on it, Rumplestiltskin," Nicholette told him, rising to his feet. "I'll go and gather logs for the fire,"
Nicolette then went off, leaving Rumple and the beggar alone.
"You know this is the only way to save your son," the beggar insisted. "Without the power of the Dark One, Baelfire will be doomed to a death in a pointless war."
"I know… but to control another living being. I… I don't know if I can."
"Then… there is another way."
Rumple looked up upon hearing that.
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of controlling the power… you need to take it."
The next day at Granny's, Henry was sitting in a booth, reading a copy of the Daily Mirror. Emma plopped down next to him, but he didn't even budge.
"How was school?" she asked.
"Okay," he answered after a moment, his eyes never leaving the paper.
"You're reading that paper pretty hard."
"Sidney wrote it," Henry explained, passing it to her. "Is it a lie?"
Emma looked at the paper, her eyes going wide when she read the headline. It said "Ex-Jailbird! Emma Swan Birthed Babe Behind Bars!" There was a picture of her mugshot dominating half the page, taken from when she went to jail 11 years ago.
"No..." she said after a moment, both in answer to Henry's question, and in disbelief from what she was seeing.
"I was born in jail?"
"Yes, but these records were supposed to be sealed." Emma crumpled the paper, tossing it at a trash can. "Please tell me you're not scarred for life."
"I'm not. Well, not by this."
"Good," Emma nodded. "But from now on, we'll be getting our news from something more reliable. Like the internet."
"This is what I've been trying to tell you. Good can't beat evil, because good doesn't do this kind of thing. My mom plays dirty. That's why you can't beat her. Ever."
"I have a new ally. Mr. Gold said he's going to help.
"Mr. Gold? He's even worse than she is. You already owe him one favor. You don't want to owe him anymore. Don't do this."
Those words left Emma with a cold feeling in her stomach as she wondered just exactly what she had done by agreeing to work with Gold.
...
Later that day, Emma stormed her way into the Mayor's Office, holding the crumbled newspaper in her hand.
"This was a juvie record," she went off. "It was sealed by court order. I don't know how you got it, but that abuse of power, not to mention illegal!"
"Oh I'm sorry," Regina replied, not sounding sorry in the slightest as she prepared to leave for the day. "You didn't want people to know you cut his cord with a shiv?"
"I don't care what people know, but this hurts Henry."
"He would've found out eventually. We all lose our heroes at some point."
Regina left the office and began making her way down a half constructed stairway, Emma remaining right on her heels.
"He doesn't need to lose anything more!" Emma insisted, "He's depressed, Madam Mayor. He doesn't have any... Any hope. Don't you see that?"
"He's fine," Regina insisted, switching off the lights.
"He's not fine. I mean, think about it. Watching his adoptive mother throw an illegal smear campaign against his birth mother? You don't think that would be upsetting?"
"All I did was expose him to the truth. And as for the legality, I did nothing wrong. But you and Sidney will have a chance to get into all that… at the debate."
That actually caught Emma off guard for a moment.
"Debate?"
"Yes, Miss Swan, there's a debate. You two can talk about jail time and juvie records and maybe even your new association with Mr. Gold." Regina stopped walking for a moment, turning to give Emma a serious look. "He's a snake, Miss Swan. Him, and Miss Flemming. You need to be careful who you get into bed with."
"I'm not getting into bed with anyone," Emma insisted as Regina was about to open the door. "I'm just fighting fire with-"
A massive explosion cut off her argument, sending both Emma and Regina flying backward. In almost record time, the entire stairway was covered in flames, debris raining down. While Emma thankfully avoided the worst of it, Regina ended up with her leg trapped under a massive piece of rubble. Emma quickly grabbed hold of the rubble and moved it off of her before getting back to her feet. Regina tried to stand, but her legs gave out under her as she cried out in pain.
"Regina, we need to move!" Emma exclaimed.
"I can't move!" Regina screamed. "Help me!"
Emma paused for a second, looking back at Regina in contemplation.
Enchanted Forest, Many Centuries Ago.
Outside their home, Rumplestiltskin was winding up wool around some sticks while Bae was stoking a fire nearby.
"Keep that fire good and stoked, Bae," Rumple encouraged. "The sheep's fat needs to be liquid and get that wool good and soaked."
"Why are we doing this, Papa? This is good wool. We can spin and sell-"
"They are our keys to the castle, son. And once I'm inside, there's something I have to take."
"What do you need to take?"
"The woman and the beggar? They told me a fine tale about the Duke and this magical dagger."
"What does it do?"
"If I own that dagger, I control the Dark One. but if I kill the Dark One with the dagger… I take his powers."
"By god's name."
"Can you imagine me with those powers? I could redeem myself. I could turn it towards good. I'll save the children of the Frontlands. Not just you, my boy."
"It would be nice, Papa, but… I'm more than willing to fight. If law says I have to, then-"
"No, no, no. The… the law doesn't want you to fight, son. The law wants you to die. That's not battle, that's… sacrifice." He gestured up to the red skies above, where the Ogre Wars were raging in the distance. "You look at that red in the sky? That's not the- the fires of the battlefield. That's' the blood of our people. The blood of children like you. I mean, what sane person would want to get involved with that?"
Bae let that sink in, Hordor's earlier words ringing in his ears.
"So it's true then… you did run."
"I… I had no choice, son."
"And Mother?" Bae asked, eyes glistening with tears. "Did she really leave you like they said? You told me she was dead."
Rumple looked down, tightening his grip on his walking stick.
"She is dead."
After a brief moment, Bae looked back down at the wool, then grabbed one of the sticks.
"So what do we need to do?" he asked.
Rumple knelt down, smiling a bit.
"The Duke's castle is made of stone, but the floors and the rafters are made of wood."
"Why does that matter?"
"Because wood burns."
Emma didn't make a move. She just stood there, staring at Regina as the building continued to burn around them.
"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" Regina realized, horror dawning on her.
Emma said nothing, then broke free and rushed into the next room. After a few seconds though, the flames in front of the door quickly started being doused. Regina looked up and saw Emma wielding a fire extinguisher, killing the flames ahead so the pair could get out a bit safer. She then took Regina by the hand and pulled her to her feet, getting them both out of the building. Once they were outside, they stumbled down the stone steps, Regina howling in pain from her ankle.
"Ow, ow, Ow! My ankle! Set me down gently!"
"Seriously? You're complaining about how I saved your life?"
They could hear some fire engines approaching, which made Regina scowl.
"The firemen are here," she declared as one pulled up. "It's not like we were really in danger."
"Fine," Emma snapped, turning to walk away. "Next time I'll just... I'll just... Ah, you know what?" She turned back to face Regina. "Next time, I'll do the same thing. And the time after that because that is what decent human beings do. That's what good people do."
…
Sometime later, Regina was on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over her face. She could see Henry off to the side talking to a firefighter, excitedly celebrating that Emma had rescued her. In anger, she tossed the mask aside.
"Enough!" she snapped.
"Regina," the Paramedic insisted.
"I'm fine."
As the Paramedic went off, Sidney came up to Regina with his camera in hand.
"Nice shot of the victim?" he asked, snapping his camera.
"Sidney!" Regina exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to hand this election to her?"
"But… it's news."
"She's the competition… you fool."
Meanwhile, Emma was talking with various townspeople who heard what had happened. All of them were gushing over her actions, praising her and everything.
"Did you really rescue Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.
"She did!" Henry proclaimed as he ran up. "The fireman said it. They saw it."
"You are a hero," Ruby commended.
"We should see if they have a picture of the rescue," Mary Margaret suggested.
"We could make campaign posters," Granny offered up.
"Oh, people will love that," Dr. Hopper declared. "That's a great idea!"
Leaving the group to handle her campaign, Emma turned to Henry, kneeling down so they were at eye level.
"This is how good wins," she declared. "You do something good and people see it, and then they want to help you."
"Maybe you're right," Henry nodded, some hope returning to his voice.
"You see, Henry? We don't have to fight dirty.
As she said this, she took notice of a piece of fabric similar to the one Mr. Gold was preparing earlier the day sticking out of the rubble. She picked it up when Henry wasn't looking and gave it a once-over. It reeked of lanolin, and Emma's eyes narrowed.
…
Mr. Gold used some of the hospital's hand sanitizer and a handkerchief to clean some soot of his hands. He then walked into Eve's room, the storybook tucked under his arm. Once he got there, he was only mildly surprised to find Emma sitting there, waiting for him.
"Miss Swan," he greeted. "What a surprise. Come to check on Miss Flemming?"
Emma just got up, tossing the piece of fabric at him. He caught it, taking a look at it.
"You set the fire at Town Hall," she accused.
"I've been right here, Miss Swan."
"Bullshit. That thing reeks of your sheep crap oil, which turns out to be flammable."
Gold wasn't deterred.
"Oh? Are you sure? There's some construction going on down there at the moment. There's loads of flammable solvents, and as Miss Flemming's current state proves, the city's gas lines aren't exactly the best. Maybe there was a leak, something sparked a fire..." he smirked. "Accidents do happen."
"Why'd you do it?"
Mr. Gold's smirk never faded as he took his seat.
"If I did it," he said, "there could be a number of reasons. Perhaps, a message? Or a warning? Maybe even..." his eyes glanced over at some of the burns on Eve before he turned back to Emma, "Well, doesn't matter. However, I suppose the biggest reason for me to do something like that, if I ever did, would be because you cannot win without something big. Something like, I don't know, being the hero in a fire?"
"How could you even know I'd be there at the right time?"
"Regina's not the only one with eyes and ears in this town. Or maybe, I'm just intuitive…" Gold leaned in slightly, "were I involved."
"I could've run and left her there," Emma challenged.
"Not the type," Gold shot down.
"I can't go along with this."
"You just did. This is just the price of election, Miss Swan."
"A price I'm not willing to pay." Emma began storming for the door, seething with rage. "Find another sucker!"
"Okay," Gold said flippantly. "Go ahead, expose me. But if you do," he paused for a moment, making sure Emma was listening, "just think about what you'll be exposing and what you'll be walking away from."
Emma glared at him for a moment, then prepared to leave. She had the door open when he spoke up once more.
"Oh, yes. And um, who you might be disappointing."
Emma turned around, glared at him and stalked out. Rumple just smirked before taking his seat and turning back to Eve.
"Quite the fire in our dear Miss Swan. If I had that kind of temperament all those years ago… well, I doubt you and I would have ever met."
Enchanted Forest, Centuries Ago...
Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin were outside of the duke's castle in the dead of night. Rumplestiltskin lit one of the torches they'd made earlier and set a pile of straw on fire. Within record time, the fire spread along the castle's walls and all throughout. Burning wooden joints splinter and crack as the fire spreads. Ceilings and rafters glowed like the sun, some occasionally falling to the ground. Rumplestiltskin entered a hall with flags standing along the walls, keeping as far from the flames as he could. He felt around, then shoved one silver-green banner aside, revealing the hidden dagger behind it. He took hold of the dagger, on which he could read the name "Zoso". Stashing it in his cloak, he hobbled out of the castle, leaving it to burn behind him.
The next day outside of Town Hall, a large banner had been erected, advertising the big debate. Mary Margaret was putting up posters on the bulletin board outside, stapling them carefully. They showed a picture of Emma pulling Regina from the fire, and read "Swan for Sheriff" in big letters. As she went about her task, she rounded the other side and ran into David Nolan, who had some flyers of his own in hand.
"David!" she let out, getting his attention. "Hi."
"Mary Margaret. Hi."
I was just, uh-
"Yeah. yeah. Me too."
"... how are things?" she asked as the two continued to put up posters.
"Okay," he answered after a moment. "I got a job. I'm working at the animal shelter."
"Really? That's great."
"Yeah."
She happened to look over and saw the posters he was hanging. Her face fell when she realized they weren't for Emma, but for Sidney Glass.
"So… Sidney?" she questioned, confused.
"Yeah… my wife is friends with Regina, so-"
"Oh, right…" her voice became hard as she remembered David's wife. :How is Kathryn?"
"Good. she's meeting me here, later."
"That's wonderful," Mary Margaret told him, slapping the stapler against the posters. "Well, I'm all out of posters. I'm going to go… get some more."
She then took off, not looking back for a second.
…
Inside, Sidney was getting ready for his part of the debate while Dr. Hopper practiced his opening speech. Emma just nervously peeked through the curtains, where she could see Henry sitting near the front and smiling. He spotted her looking and happily waved. Emma sheepishly waved back before withdrawing. As she did, Mary Mararet approached her, handing her some papers. Emma took them, just as Mary Margaret fished out a bottle of water as well.
"I'm not gonna win," Emma told her.
"What are you talking about?" Mary Margaret questioned, looking confused. "Everyone's talking about what you did in the fire."
"No, Henry's right. I can't beat Regina like this. Not the way she fights. Watch and see."
"Is this really about beating Regina?"
Emma drew back the curtains again, looking back out at Henry. Mary Margaret watched her, and it all clicked.
"It's about Henry, isn't it?"
"I wanna show him that good can actually win."
"That's why you want to win it for him. But why do you want to win the election for yourself?
"That is why," Emma insisted. "I wanna show him that a hero can win. And if I'm not-" She stopped for a moment, then sighed and continued. "If I'm not a hero and I'm not a savior… then what part do I have in his life?"
Mary Margaret took that in, not knowing what to say. Emma pulled back the curtains one last time, just in time to see Mr. Gold walking in. He gave her a small wave, then took a seat in the back, waiting for the debate to start.
The Enchanted Forest, Centuries ago.
Baelfire stood in the woods, Nicholette by his side as they waited for Rumplestiltskin's return. Their patience was soon rewarded when they spotted him approaching from beyond a hill.
"Papa!" Bae called out.
"Oh, Bae," Rumple called back.
The two embraced tightly, relief evident in both their postures. Nicholette watched them, looking Rumple over.
"Did you get it?" she questioned. "Did you get the dagger?"
"I got it," Rumple confirmed. "I just need to take care of something, then I'll be home."
"Papa, I'm scared," Bae told his father, his voice trembling. "I have a bad feeling."
"What will you do, Rumplestiltskin?" Nicholette questioned.
"Just ensure that my son stays safe. Once that's done, the dagger is yours," he swore. "For now, can you please take Bae home? Make sure he gets there alright?"
Nicholette was hesitant, but eventually nodded. She placed her hands on Baelfire's shoulders.
"Come, Baelfire," she insisted. "Your father will be along shortly."
Balfire turned back to his father for a moment before following Nicolette out of the woods. Once they were gone Rumple pulled out the dagger and held it into the air so he could read the name on it.
"Zoso!" he called out. "Zoso, I summon thee!"
Nothing seemed to happen at first, so Rumple lowered the dagger. He looked around, and standing right behind him was the Dark One. Rumple screamed, taking a few steps back and dropping his torch, which extinguished on impact. In the darkness of the night, all Rumple could make out of Zoso was his hood.
"You were asking for me?" Zoso spoke.
Rumple fumbled slightly, grabbing the dagger and holding it out to keep Zoso at bay.
"Submit, Dark One!" he shouted, struggling to keep his crippling terror out of his voice. "I control you!"
"Yes, you do. Wield the power wisely."
Rumple stood there, his hands shaking as he struggled to form a coherent sentence. Zoso remained where he was, seemingly watching Rumple from under his hood.
"You can wield it anytime now. It's almost dawn. That means it's your son's birthday." Rumple froze at that, both from Zoso's knowledge of his son, and the implication of his word. "I bet Hordor and his men are already on their way to your house."
"No, they can't take him. The- The Alchemist, she'll protect him. She promised."
"You don't control her, or Hordor's men, you control me." Zoso took a step forward. "Have you ever wondered… was he really your child at all. Unlike you, he's not a coward and yearns to fight and die in glory."
"No…"
"What a poor bargain that would be," Zoso jeered, "to lay down your soul to have your bastard son. So I ask you… what would you have. Me. Do?"
Finally steeling himself, Rumple adjusted his grip on the dagger so he could wield it properly.
"Die!"
He stabbed Zoso in the heart and they both fell to the ground. As they did, Zoso's hood fell down to reveal the dark one's face. He laughed, and under the light of the full moon above, he transformed. He took on the form of the beggar, still laughing despite his pain.
"You…"
"Looks like… you made a deal… you didn't understand," Zoso noted. "I don't think… you're gonna do that again…"
"You told me to kill you."
"My life… was such a burden… you'll see. Magic… always comes with a price… and now… it's yours to pay."
"But- but the Alchemist… you said she- she's against the Dark Ones. But- but she called you friend. You helped her, she helped you..."
"Despite her age… and experience… even she can be deceived. She thought… I wanted to be free of Hordor… but I… wanted free… of all of it. She saw a man… who would do anything… to save his son..." Zoso leaned forward as best he could. "But I saw you… for what you really are..."
"What… what am I?"
Zoso laughed again, an ugly, wheezing laugh.
"A desperate soul…"
With those last words, Zoso went still as death finally claimed him. In a panic, Rumple grabbed him, trying to shake him back into consciousness.
"No! No! Stay! You have to tell me what to do! Tell me what to do!"
As he did this, he felt something crawling on his skin. He looked down, seeing a strange, ugly sheen spreading across his hand that's holding the dagger. He pulled it out of Zoso's body, and through the blood, he could make out a single word: Rumplestiltskin.
As the big debate prepared to begin, Dr. Hopper stepped up onto the stage to start everything off. Emma and Sidney were seated on either side of him, both waiting with bated breath.
"Tragedy has brought us here, but we are faced with this decision," Dr. Hopper introduced. "And now, we ask only that you listen with an open mind and please vote your conscience. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the candidates. Sidney Glass, and Emma Swan." He gestured to both candidates as some scattered applause rang out. "Glass. Swan. Sounds like something that a decorator would make you buy."
The crowd remained silent in response.
"Wow, crickets. Okay, uh… Mr. Glass, your opening statement."
Sidney rose up and went to the podium, locking eyes on Regina before speaking.
"I just wanna say that if elected, I want to serve as a reflection of the best qualities of Storybrooke," he looked back at Regina, seeing her mouth the words of his speech. "Honesty, neighborliness, and strength. Thank you."
The crowd applauded as Sidney took his seat and Dr. Hopper retook the podium.
"And Emma Swan," he introduced.
The crowd applauded as Emma stood up, slowly making her way to the podium. Once she got there, she paused for a moment, finding the right words to say.
"You guys all know I have what they call an, uh… troubled past. But, you've been able to overlook that because of the, um... hero thing. But here's the thing… The fire was a setup."
The crowd erupted into murmurs amongst themselves as Emma continued.
"Mr. Gold agreed to support me in this race, but I didn't know that meant he was going to set a fire. I don't have definitive evidence, but I'm sure. The worst part of all this was… the worst part of all this is that I let you all believe it was real. I can't win that way. I'm sorry."
Gold silently got out of his seat and exited the room as Emma walked off stage. Henry sat there silently, turning to Regina as she had a look of certain victory on her face
...
At Granny's Diner sometime later, Emma was finishing a glass of straight whisky. It was clearly not her first, given the half empty bottle in Ruby's hands.
"Another?" she offered.
"Oh hell, yes," Emma replied.
Ruby poured another glass as Henry came into the diner. Emma gave him a small wave as he happily clambered up onto one of the stools next to her. He then fished into his backpack, grabbing one of the walkie talkies and handing it to her. Emma took it, looking confused.
"What's this for?" she asked.
"You stood up to Mr. Gold," he told her, smiling.
"Well, he did something illegal."
"That's what heroes do, expose stuff like that," Henry said as Ruby brought him a glass of milk. He then leaned in, whispering in his mom's ear. "I shouldn't have given up on Operation Cobra."
That surprised Emma, but she said nothing as the door opened again. This time, it was Regina and Sidney who entered. Emma let out a sigh, turning back to her drink.
"I thought I might find you here," Regina remarked, surveying the scene with growing disdain. "With a drink. And my son."
"Here to card me, officer?" Emma questioned, pointedly ignoring Regina.
"Well, not at all," Sidney answered. "In fact, I think I will join you."
"Here? I don't know. 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."
That actually threw Emma for a loop. She turned to face the two, just catching a glimpse of Henry's big smile as she did. She watched Regina reluctantly remove the Sheriff's badge from her pocket, placing it on the counter in front of Emma.
"Congratulations, Sheriff Swan."
"Are you serious?" Emma questioned.
"She's always serious," Sidney replied as the people of storybrooke slowly began to trickle in.
"There 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 begrudgingly admitted, leaning in a bit. "You didn't pick a great friend in Mr. Gold, Miss Swan, but he does make a superlative enemy. Enjoy that."
With that, Regina gave Emma a smile before leaving the diner. Emma let that sink in before she was pulled into the victory party by all the friends she had made.
The Enchanted Forest, Centuries Ago.
Hordor and a group of his knights arrived at Rumplestiltskin's house at the crack of dawn. Two of them were holding Nicholette tightly in their grip as she struggled to fight them. Another escorted Baelfire out of the house, the boy not resisting as he was pulled along by his cloak. Hordor observed the scene, then glanced around at the different houses, smirking a bit.
"Everyone's watching from behind their curtains today," he remarked. "It seems they finally learned their lesson."
"You won't get away with this, Hordor," Nicholette spat.
Hordor looked down at her, fixing her with a glare that would reduce her to ash if it had the power.
"No, you are the one who won't get away," he sneered. "I don't know how you thought you could get away with what you did to the Duke's castle, but I can assure you, when we're through with you..." he let out a cruel, vindictive laugh. "Well, let's just say we're going to see if you're truly as immortal as the legends say you are."
Just then, the men holding Nicolette both had their necks snapped violently, dropping to the ground. Hordor went wide-eyed, drawing his sword.
"What have you done, witch?!"
"That wasn't me!" Nicholette swore.
"No, it wasn't!" A new voice declared.
Suddenly, the soldier holding the reins of Hordor's horse was stabbed in the back, startling the horse. It bucked, kicking Hordor off before taking off. Hordor looked up, eyes going wide when he saw Rumplestiltskin in a simple, hemp cloak. One look at his putrid skin and the dagger in his hand made it perfectly clear who he was dealing with.
"The Dark One..." he gasped, bowing down before him.
Rumple got closer, prompting Nicholette to grab Bae and pull him safely into her arms. He let her, just staring at the scene in complete horror.
"No..." Nicholette gasped. "Zoso, what did you do..."
"I'm afraid Zoso's gone, dearie," Rumple spoke up with a theatrical lilt before turning to glare down at Hordor. "There's a new Dark One now..."
"Who-" Hordor stammered, not getting up from the ground out of sheer terror. "Who are you?"
"Have you forgotten me already? What was it you used to call me again? Spindleshanks?" he snapped his fingers. "Hobblefoot."
"Papa?" Bae let out.
Hordor was shaking now, his eyes falling on the bloody dagger, and the name now written upon it. Terror robbed him of his voice, but not Nicholette.
"Rumplestiltskin..." she gasped. "No… No, this- This can't be. How did-?"
"You left a few details out of your tale. But your friend… was able to fill in the blanks."
"What's wrong with him?" Bae questioned, looking up at Nicholette desperately. "What's happened?!"
"Your father…" Nicholette gasped, a hand going to her mouth, "he's become the new Dark One..."
"And now," Rumple spoke, turning to Hordor and sticking out one of his feet, just like Hordor had two days ago, "how about a little fealty? Kiss. My. Boot."
Scared out of his wits, Hordor immediately went to comply. However, when he bent over, Rumple grabbed him by the throat and snapped his neck.
"Rumplestiltskin!" Nicholette shrieked.
"No Papa!" Bae cried out as the remaining knights drew their swords.
Rumple wasted no time darting towards them, slicing at them with his dagger and killing them instantly. It all happened so fast that they were all dead in less than a minute. When it was over, Rumple lowered his hood, breathing a bit hard, but smiling. He turned to Nicholette and Bae, the former immediately stumbling back while clinging to the latter.
"Papa?" Bae whimpered. "What's happened to you?"
"I never should have let you keep that dagger," Nicholette cursed. "Damn it all, I should have known better..."
"It doesn't matter now," Rumple told her. "The Duke no longer controls the Dark One… and my son is safe."
"If that's true..." Nicholette began, moving Bae behind her and holding out a hand, "then hand over the dagger. You promised once you were sure your son was safe that you would."
"Sure, he's safe now," Rumple argued, "but who knows how long that will last." He slipped the dagger onto his belt, covering it with his cloak. "No, I'm going to keep it, and I'm going to protect what belongs to me."
"Papa..." Bae let out, clinging to Nicholette's cloak. "I'm scared."
"Don't be, Bae. I'm not. In fact… I'm not scared of anything."
"And with that, Rumplestiltskin stood triumphant over his fallen enemies," Gold read off. "The Alchemist and his son could only watch, knowing deep in their souls it was the beginning of a dark chapter in their lives."
He closed the storybook, placing it on his lap, where the Sheriff's jacket was resting. He heard the door to the hospital room open up, smiling a bit as he turned to see Emma.
"Congratulations," he greeted, standing up and holding out the jacket. "I have a little gift. The Sheriff's jacket. I thought you might want it after all."
Emma didn't even look at it.
"I don't get it," she admitted. "I sold you out, so why do you look so goddamn smug?"
"Because you did exactly what I knew you would, dearie," he explained. "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 ass from the fire just wasn't gonna do now. We had to give you a higher form of bravery. They had to see you defy me. And they did."
"No way," Emma shook her head. "There's no way you planned for that."
"Everyone's afraid of Regina, but they are more afraid of me." He laughed slightly. "Well, almost everyone. But, either way, by standing up to me, you won them over. It was the only way."
"How could you possibly know I'd play along? And- and all that stuff about disappointing Henry?"
Gold smirked.
"Do you want to know what Miss Flemming here sees in you?" he asked, placing a hand on Eve's leg. "She believes you're a strong woman, a mother trying so hard to be worthy of her son's love and attention. But me?" he chuckled slightly. "I see you for what you truly are."
"And what would that be?"
"... a desperate soul."
There was a long moment of silence before Emma took a breath.
"Why did you do it?" she asked.
"We made a deal sometime back, Miss Swan. 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."
Emma's eyes narrowed, then they fell on the jacket, and the storybook.
"That isn't yours," she growled.
"I was merely borrowing it anyway," Gold told her, holding out the jacket and the book. "Besides, I already know the end of the story."
Emma just took the jacket and book and wordlessly walked out of the room. Gold just smirked in response. When the door closed, Eve began to stir on the bed, sitting up as best she could.
"So that's why you wanted me to play possum," she remarked. "So you could ensure Emma became Sheriff."
"I figured offering to pay all of your medical bills would be adequate compensation," Gold told her, sitting down next to her bed. "After all, given your current lack of lodgings or employment, you certainly can't afford them."
"You truly can recognize a desperate soul," Eve remarked bitterly.
"Call it a gift."
Eve just sighed, rubbing her amulet with her thumb.
"Regina nearly won," she let out. "The Huntsman remembered, and she killed him, and now that she's onto me, I'm almost certain she is going to make my life living hell, if not try and kill me again."
"Then perhaps merely observing from the sidelines is no longer an option."
"What do you mean?"
"You need to take a more active role in making a believer out of Miss Swan. No more hiding in your shop, or just cryptically watching from the shadows. You need to do what needs to be done to break this curse."
"Rum-... Gold I… I have no home, no money, no employment, no magic… I'll be of no use to Emma like this."
"You're resourceful," Rumple told her, smiling and rising once more. "You'll figure something out. You always do."
With that, Gold walked out of the room, leaving Eve to contemplate her next moves.