A/N: I ended up having a surprise day off so I was able to get this finished earlier than expected! I hope you like it, please review after reading! xx
After the meeting at the Town Hall, Emma, Kathryn and Ruby had gone to see if Gold had decided to make an appearance at his shop yet, while David and Mary Margaret had left separately to see if they could discover anything else that might be useful. Henry on the other hand, had been sent back to the diner with Granny.
"Well, it looks like he's here after all." Kathryn said as the three women turned the corner onto Main Street and saw the old Cadillac parked out front of Gold's shop.
"Or at least his car is here," Emma said.
"Oh don't worry, he's here," Ruby affirmed, sniffing the air as they walked.
"Emma would you like us to come in with you or would you rather do this on your own?" Kathryn asked.
"It's okay, I got this." Emma said, not taking her eyes off of the store as they came to stop on the sidewalk just before entering the view of the shop windows.
"We'll be right out here if you need us Emma," Ruby said.
"Thanks," Emma smiled before taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
It didn't help, and she found herself storming angrily into the shop anyways.
"Miss Swan, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Gold greeted her in a mockingly cheery tone from where he was stationed behind the counter.
"Where is she?" Emma growled, marching up to him.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to be a bit more specific."
"Regina, where the hell is she?! You know where she is, tell me!"
"What on Earth would possess you to believe that?"
"There was a fire at Regina's house last night. A big one, and it just so happens that it started conveniently after I had left."
"House fires happen." Gold replied simply. "Perhaps one of you lot left the stove on?"
"This was no ordinary fire. No one was hurt, nothing was damaged."
"So everything worked out."
"No." Emma replied testily, gripping the side of the counter until her knuckles turned white. "I may have only just recently accepted that magic exists, but I'm not an idiot. I know what caused this, and as far as I know you're the only one in town who has the power to do something like that."
"Yes as far as you know."
Emma glared at him for a moment. "Why are you doing this?! Regina's already suffering enough, she doesn't deserve this!"
"Well clearly someone in town disagrees with you. Perhaps Her Majesty should have been more wary of the consequences before casting such a vile curse. She had to have known there would be a price."
"She's already paid a steep price." Emma said in an unintentionally quiet voice.
Emma looked up at him and saw the curious way he was looking at her. She cleared her throat. "In fact I think she's paid several steep prices." She said more strongly.
Gold stared at her with a look that suggested she was wasting his time. "I'm sorry Sheriff what exactly is it that you want?"
"I want you to tell me where Regina is."
"I wasn't the one to take her dear, believe me, if I had wanted to kill her I would have done it days ago."
"Then help me find her." Emma said forcefully.
"Isn't that Miss Lucas out there?" Gold indicated the two women lingering outside the shop. "Why haven't you made use of her unique skills to track down Regina?"
"Don't you think we've tried that? She couldn't pick up anything. We've tried everything, even a few locator potions from the fairies. So far everything we've tried has been useless."
"Well going to those pests was your first mistake. They really are quite useless if you ask me."
"That's why we need your help. You're the Dark One, you must have some way of finding her." Emma spat out.
Gold huffed in annoyance. "Even if I did, why should I help her?"
"Because you owe it to her. You were the one to get her to cast the curse in the first place! You're the reason this is all happening to her!" Emma nearly shouted.
"Now let me make one thing quite clear Miss Swan," Gold said with suddenly dangerous look in his eyes. "I owe that woman absolutely nothing. She was the one who came to me for help twenty-eight years ago. This isn't on me."
"Oh please, you were the one to design this curse, you had to have wanted her to cast it or you never would have given it to her in the first place! I don't know what you got out of it but you wanted to come to this world. You knew it wouldn't last forever, you wanted the curse to break."
Emma studied the look in his eyes as she tried but failed to read him.
"Wait a minute... this is about Belle isn't it?" Emma asked. "David told me about her. And look, I know what Regina did to her was wrong, in fact it was horrible, but when she locked Belle up she was in a really dark place. She's changed so much since then."
"I find that extremely hard to believe."
"She really does regret what she did to all of you," Emma said more softly. "And I just know that if she's given the chance she'll do her best to make up for everything she's done. Somehow, in some way I know she'll make it up to Belle. If only she's given the opportunity to do it."
"There's nothing she could do that would make up for what she did." Gold countered darkly. "Now would you kindly get out of my shop, I am rather busy."
"Doing what?" Emma asked in disbelief. When she had entered the shop he had merely been standing there staring at the door as if he was waiting for her to come in.
"None of your concern. Now why don't you run along, and carry on with your quaint attempts at saving the Queen?"
Emma was gripping the counter a little too hard again.
"Fine." She said angrily. "Thanks for your help."
She'd had several other things she would have preferred to say but she knew picking a fight with him could easily end up deadly, and so she forced herself to hold her tongue. Emma stormed through the shop towards the exit, but when she was halfway to the door something deep inside made her hesitate. It was a tiny inkling of hope. She was completely at a loss for how to find Regina and she had accepted that it was now time to grasp at straws.
With a little hesitation she turned around again and walked back to the counter, placing her hands on the surface of it as she looked up at Gold.
"Help me find out what happened to her," Emma said in a tired voice. "I'll give you anything, just help me find her before it's too late."
"Anything?" Gold raised his head with a bit of a wicked grin.
"Anything that doesn't hurt anyone." Emma quickly specified.
"Hmm," Gold studied her in amusement. "Would you change your mind if you knew it would also hurt someone involved in Regina's kidnapping?"
"So you do know who took her," Emma grumbled. "Of course you do."
"Indeed I do."
"Well go on then, tell me."
"Not so fast Sheriff, I want your word that you won't interfere with my plans for this person."
Emma bit her lip. "What will you do to them?"
"That's my business."
"Gold, I can't just sign someone's life away without knowing who they are or what they've done to deserve this."
"Well I can assure you they are involved in what's happening to her majesty, and I can also guarantee you that if I don't take care of them, no one else ever will."
"Who is it?" Emma asked again.
"The clock's ticking Miss Swan. And as we speak, Her Majesty is enduring some of the worst pain of her life. Are you really going to let her suffering continue, just to allow her kidnapper to get away with it?"
Emma was subconsciously tapping her nails against the counter in agitation. "Why do you want this person to pay?"
"Because they and I have a rather sordid history. I lost someone very dear to me because of them, and if you don't accept my deal, so will you."
Emma closed her eyes, she hated herself for doing this but she found herself believing him. Whoever this person was seemed to have a grudge against both Gold and Regina, and Emma had a gnawing feeling that she knew who it was.
"Fine, deal. Tell me what you know."
"You were correct in assuming that something magical was behind the fire. And you were also correct in your assumption that it was me who helped to start it. Someone came asking for my assistance and I gave it."
"What?! Why would you do that?!"
Gold raised his hand to quiet her. "Yes yes I know that upsets you. But I needed Regina to pay for what she did to Belle. Belle was innocent," he growled. "And because of Regina she's spent the last thirty years of her life in a windowless prison cell."
"So you do want Regina to die?"
"Miss Swan, I have a special gift you may not be aware of. I can see the future."
"Okay?" Emma replied, not seeing how that answered her question.
"I knew that my helping with the little fire would hurt Regina, but I also knew it wouldn't result in her death. She and I have had many quarrels, but as surprising as this may sound, I don't think she deserves to die."
"If you can see the future then tell me, who took Regina and where do I find her?"
"I'm afraid that part is up to you Miss Swan. I can't influence your search."
"And why the hell not?!"
"Because if I tell you, it might hinder the outcome. The future is an interesting thing Miss Swan, it has many possibilities. If I tell you where she is right now, she will die. She would be gone the second you're through the front door."
Emma felt sick."But if I wait any longer won't she still die?"
"You will find her when the time is right, I've seen it, you just have to have a little faith in yourself."
"When you say I'll find her..." Emma asked hesitantly. "You do mean–?"
"Alive, yes."
"If you won't tell me where she is, what the hell is the point of our deal?"
"Because what I can tell you will lead you straight to Regina, if you only just look properly."
"This sounds like it's going to be some sort of riddle."
"I assure you, it's not."
Emma breathed a frustrated sigh. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't, but I assure you you can."
"Who took her?"
"Who do you think took her?"
Emma took a deep breath, annoyed with his games. "Doctor Whale I think... And I thought maybe Mother Superior was involved, but I guess maybe I was wrong if you were the one to start the fire."
"Sheriff that fire was started with dark magic yes, but there is a spell currently around the queen that's preventing you from finding her, am I correct?"
"Yeah..."
"That's a protection spell, created with light magic."
Emma's mouth hung open for a few moments as she took in Gold's meaning.
"I knew it." She shook her head, livid, as her assumptions about Blue had been proven correct. "That hypocritical, self-righteous bitch."
Gold gave a small, dark smile. "It would seem you and I share an opinion of the Blue Fairy."
"Is she the one you're going after then?"
"Perhaps."
Emma leaned forward against the counter, bowing her head a little as she thought things over.
The only fighting chance she had at saving Regina was to allow Gold to potentially harm a nun, the mother superior no less. She had no idea what his plans were but they couldn't be good. Despite the fact that Blue had been involved in Regina's abduction, Emma still felt a gnawing sense of dread at the symbolism behind it. She wasn't religious by any means but it still felt wrong.
Unfortunately for Mother Superior however, Emma had little sympathy for the woman right now. Emma knew it was wrong to sign anyone's life away, and of course she would feel guilty if the fairy ended up dying as a result of this deal, but at the same time Blue was allowing a defenceless, terrified and repentant woman to be tortured to death, and was taking away Regina's chance to say goodbye to her family and her right to die with dignity. Blue wasn't acting like either a nun or a fairy and to be quite clear, Emma herself wanted to rip the woman's throat out for what she was allowing to happen to the mayor.
"What are they doing to her?" Emma asked almost fearfully. "To Regina?"
"Punishing her," Gold replied quietly. "Punishing her for trying to find her happy ending."
Emma felt a tug in her heart at the words, but was also quite surprised at the sympathy in his tone.
"So, for information on where to find Regina, what do you want in return? I find it highly unlikely that you would ask my permission to hurt anyone in this town, so you must need my help with something? Something to do with Mother Superior?"
"I assure you, all I require is your non-interference with my plans for her."
Emma inhaled deeply. This was probably a bad idea, but right now all she cared about was finding Regina. "Fine. I still agree to do the deal."
Gold smiled. "You've already guessed on your own that Doctor Whale and Mother Superior both have a hand in Regina's punishment, but there is a third person whom you've been overlooking."
"Who?"
"Why Sidney Glass of course."
"Sidney?" Emma asked in surprise. "What the hell does Sidney have to do with any of this?"
"Look into him. I assure you he will lead you straight to Her Majesty."
"But he does anything Regina asks him to, he's practically in love with her, why would he be involved in this?"
"Exactly Miss Swan; he's practically in love with her. And what has she done these past thirty years but use his own feelings against him?"
"So because she doesn't share his feelings he wants her to die for it?! That's insane! If she doesn't love him, she doesn't love him, end of story! You can't help who you do and don't love."
"People have killed for less."
Emma didn't know what to say.
"Good luck."
"But Gold, I need more than–"
Gold just made a gesture to indicate that he was done with the conversation. "Look into him," he repeated. "If you do, you'll find where they're hiding Regina." With that he turned towards the back room and left Emma alone in the shop.
Across Town
"Take her upstairs."
Sidney's eyes lingered on Regina before glancing uncertainly at Whale.
"What's the problem?" Whale asked. "Afraid you'll drop her?"
"No," Sidney said quickly before turning away from Whale and moving towards Regina. Once he was beside her however, he just hovered, taking in the injuries of which he had witnessed the infliction. He turned his head back in the direction of Whale again.
"What is it Sidney?" Whale snapped.
"What about her broken bones?"
"What of them?"
Sidney thought back to the insurmountable number of times Whale had hit, kicked, and practically even thrown the queen that day. "Isn't it a bad idea to move her?"
"Don't be ridiculous, of course not."
"Won't moving her make them worse?"
With a heavy, annoyed sigh, Whale strode towards the two and knelt at Regina's side. He ran a hand down her leg, feeling one of the breaks for the first time. Feeling the injury he had given her put a small, malicious smile on his face. Next he lifted one of her arms and felt the damage he had caused to it as well. Lastly he pressed his fingers against her torso, running his hand over her to feel her broken ribs.
"Don't worry about it," Whale said.
"I'm sorry but I have to disagree," a female voice said from behind them.
Whale withdrew his hand from Regina and stood up to face the new arrival.
"And just where have you been?" Whale asked, a little annoyed.
"It matters not." Blue replied smoothly as she took measured steps further into the room, taking in the scene before her.
"Well I see you've been enjoying yourself." She said, observing the infinite number of injuries on the unconscious woman on the floor.
"That's why I called you here." Whale responded. "She's no use to us like this. I was holding back but unfortunately her bones are just so weak right now that it didn't take very much for her to end up this way."
"Did she pass out from the pain?"
"It's highly possible."
"You went a little overboard didn't you? She's not that strong you know."
"I know better than anyone." Whale replied. "Trust me, I am aware of her limits."
"I'll do what you ask," Blue said, "but it won't make her last much longer."
"I'll be the judge of that." Whale replied. "Besides, Sidney hasn't had his chance yet," he eyed the other man a little mockingly. "I thought it would be nice for him to have a blank slate to work with."
Blue sighed a little frustrated. "Try not to sound too excited, this is a punishment for a deranged, violent criminal, not a sport."
"Yes of course, how could I forget?" Whale replied slyly.
Blue shook her head at him before withdrawing her magic wand and approaching Regina's unmoving form. Closing her eyes for a moment, Blue then guided the wand through the air over the length of Regina's body. As she did this, all broken and fractured bones were mended.
"Satisfied?" Blue asked.
"What, you're not going to get rid of her bruises?"
The fairy breathed an incredulous laugh. "Think of it as retribution; each mark on her body will symbolize one person whose life she's destroyed. She'll die wearing the burdens of her sins. It's a fitting end."