A/N: I hope everyone had a very happy holiday and Happy New Year as well! So sorry for the delay...I ended scrapping the original version of this chapter and starting again, so I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know. Enjoy! :)
The fire spread throughout his leg, furiously reminding him of his limitations as they arrived back at the diner, much to his relief. Gold had truly enjoyed spending the time with her, but between walking all over town and shopping to no end he needed a place to sit down. He initially told Granny he would have Belle back in an hour or less…that was over five hours ago. But to see Belle so excited over something made it all worth it. Words couldn't describe what these precious moments meant to him, when he was able see her smile and hear her laugh. Though his guilt over what had happened to her would never go away.
Belle was always brave; she always wore a smile no matter how much pain or sorrow she suffered. But after spending the day with her he was better able to see the cracks; the evil that had chipped away bits of her soul – the permanent scars that he alone was responsible for. It was still so incredible to him that not only was Belle alive; she seemed to have forgiven him. Of all the people with a right to hate him, Belle was at the top of that list. He was grateful they even seemed to be maintaining their friendship, something he had never planned, nor expected after having broken her heart at least twice.
"Thank you again, Mr. Gold for…everything." Belle said as they reached the door, pulling him from his thoughts. Gold rested his hands on his cane as he stopped, smiling kindly at the extraordinary woman before him.
"It was my pleasure, Belle. I will let you know as soon as they are finished…we'll get some people to help you move and settle in." Gold promised. Belle shook her head in disbelief as if she couldn't quite believe this was all happening.
"You're too kind…" Belle rested her hand on his shoulder, tentatively pressing her lips to his cheek in thanks. Gold froze at the unexpected gesture; she always did give him too much credit.
"No I'm not; I just like you." He said, grinning impishly as he pulled away.
"You always were too hard on yourself." Belle whispered sadly with a sympathetic smile, "And regardless, I thank you again."
"You're welcome, dearie…" Gold opened the door and held it for her. He would've gone inside to sit down but for the murderous glare from Granny, her eyes moving to the clock with a disapproving scowl. "You best get inside before Granny beheads me or worse…" Belle laughed lightly, nodding in agreement as she stepped into the diner.
"See you soon?" she asked hopefully over her shoulder.
"Indeed." He leaned heavily on his cane as he began walking, watching through the window as Belle rejoined Ruby behind the counter. The brief moment of rest did little to ease the burning in his leg and Gold slowed his pace to a snail's crawl; he'd be lucky if he didn't need a cortisone shot after this. Before he could even make it passed the neighboring shop, Ruby ran in front of him, blocking his path.
"Miss Lucas…trying to give me the rent early?" he teased, forcing a tight smile. Ruby rolled her eyes breathlessly, leveling him with an obstinate glare.
"No, actually, do you have my red cloak? You know, the one that prevents me from turning into a wolf…" she added sarcastically with a sharp glare.
"I'm sorry dearie, I'm afraid I don't have it." He stated apologetically. Ruby's face fell at his words, fear instantly replacing the stubbornness in her wide eyes.
"Are you sure, I mean, can't you check? The full moon is tonight and you're the only person I can think of who might have it…" Her desperation was obvious and Gold actually regretted being unable to help her.
"Trust me my dear; your cloak is one item I wouldn't mind parting with if I had it." He assured her as he had no desire to be devoured by a wolf. She opened her mouth to argue and closed it just as quickly, shaking her head helplessly.
"Alright, thanks I guess." Ruby mumbled, heading for the door, no doubt trying to come up with a new plan.
"Good luck, dearie…" he called after her. Ruby didn't even acknowledge him as she disappeared into the diner. With the day drawing to a close, he decided to stop by the station. Perhaps he could even convince Emma to leave early, increasingly curious about these plans she had for them.
Emma drummed her fingers obsessively having finished the last of her paperwork, the endless day dragging on. Sorting out her emotions had proved to be an impossible task as she still at war with herself these long hours later. It was exhausting and confusing trying to sort out such conflicting emotions; she had no idea it was possible to be so happy while at the same time being so sad and angry. Though, in the end it was only an aid in helping her get all that work done.
Her cheeks actually ached from the smile that refused to leave her lips, unable to stop thinking of her morning with Gold. His initiative surprised her to say the least; his self-doubt and fear had ruined so many of their intimate moments. But losing her seemed to snap him out of it; not that he was suddenly free of all his doubt and fear, but that it was no longer dictating his actions. And she hoped that the changes she had seen him since her return would last.
And despite what happened at Granny's with his 'father', the time she spent with James had been perfect. It was little more than a walk and a conversation yet it was among the most profound experiences of her life. Walking arm and arm with any of her foster fathers was something she would never have done because she either wasn't welcome to, or it would've been misconstrued as a sexual advance.
It breaks her heart sometimes to look in her father's eyes and see the pride and love he has for her mixed with his obvious guilt and uncertainty. Though, her initial detachment from him certainly didn't help matters. With Mary it was slightly easier; they were already friends before all of her hope was beginning to grow that eventually they would all get through this and they will come out a stronger family.
Her eyes drifted to Graham's leather jacket once more, her sadness and ever increasing hatred of Regina renewed. It wasn't right that Graham was gone, murdered so senselessly for no other reason than Regina could…or perhaps it was her jealousy. Either way, it was a tragic waste of an innocent life. With an exasperated groan Emma buried her face in her hands. She needed to get out of her head – get out of this building. With the promise of spending the evening with Gold, Emma decided to just leave early.
"Hello love…" Emma jumped at the sound of his voice, staring at him in disbelief. It was almost as if he heard her thinking of him and just materialized in her office. She smiled brightly, grateful for the sudden distraction of his presence.
"Hey…what are you doing here?" Emma watched concerned as he limped with increased difficulty to a nearby chair, his face contorted in pain.
"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by." He replied, pulling the chair beside her. Gold sighed heavily in relief as he reclined in the chair, straightening his leg front of him.
"Are you ok?"
"Oh, fine…Belle doesn't like cars, so we've been walking all over town for the last five hours…" he replied nonchalantly. Are you crazy? was the first reply that came to mind, but she bit her tongue. It was actually kind of sweet and admirable that he would put himself in such physical pain to ensure Belle's comfort.
"You're such a gentleman…"
"That's debatable…" he mumbled with a smug smirk, knowing how such comments get under her skin. Emma's only response was a cocked eyebrow and a stern glare as she angled her chair towards him, rolling closer. She patted her thigh with her hand and said, "Come on…I'll massage it for you."
His eyes widened in surprise at her offer, unable to deny her even if he wanted to. He inched his chair closer, slowly lifting his leg to her hands as Emma guided his leg to her lap. He winced sharply and his whole body tensed at the initial contact of her hands gently massaging above his knee. Emma instantly lightened her pressure at his obvious discomfort, slowing her movements until she felt his leg relax against her.
"Thank you…" Gold breathed heavily as his eyes closed; his head falling back against the chair. He wasn't sure if it was her magic, or if she was just that talented, but there were times he could swear that Emma had the gift of healing in her touch. Whatever it was, he was certainly grateful as she carefully kneaded and compressed the spasming muscles; the sharp pain starting to ease. As he opened his eyes to thank her he was caught off guard by the sad look in her eyes, the small smile that was splayed on her lips was slowly fading.
"A penny for your thoughts, love?" he asked in the silence. Emma forced a tight smile, not quite able to meet his eyes.
"This magic that I have…is it inherent or do I have to learn it?" He quirked an eyebrow at her words; that being the last thing he expected to hear.
"It appears to be inherent; you were the one who opened the portals and I never taught you how to use magic." He explained briefly, watching her with hooded eyes. "Why do you ask?"
Emma shrugged dismissively, trying to disguise her emotions. "I've just been thinking. I think my shock of all this has finally worn off. I'm the savior, it's time I start acting like it and stop avoiding the inevitable."
Gold knew Emma well enough to know when she was covering something. With a suspicious stare he replied, "Well, if it will make you feel better we can explore your powers together. I can teach you how to control it if need be, but I doubt you'll need my help."
"What else is going on?" he added quickly, before she could even respond. Emma couldn't help but smile, hating how well he knew her.
"Do you ever feel guilty for being happy?" she asked instead of answering his question. Gold chuckled beneath his breath, the images of Bae and Belle rushing to the forefront of his mind.
"At least once a day...if not more." He answered honestly. Emma diverted her eyes to the ground, mentally scoffing to herself that she even asked. This was Gold she was talking to, of course he understands. "Why do you feel guilty? Didn't go well with your father?"
"Oh, no, everything was great with my father…" Emma replied emphatically. "But I asked him to take me to Regina's vault where I saw her…heart collection…" The words choked in her throat; just the thought was enough to make her stomach writhe and twist in horror.
"She killed Graham, didn't she…" it wasn't a question, and it caught him off guard.
"That wasn't your fault, Emma…" he assured her. Gold always felt so inadequate when trying to comfort her; no matter his choice of words they always sounded superficial and meaningless.
"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier. He didn't deserve to die…" she argued, battling the tears building behind her eyes.
"No, no, he didn't…" he whispered in agreement. Confused, Gold paused as he studied her intently, "I'm sorry, and why do you feel guilty?"
"Maybe guilty is the wrong word; I'm just so happy right now and it's not right that Graham is dead for no other reason than Regina was jealous." Gold nodded, diverting his eyes to the ground. Emma instantly chided herself, noting the helpless look in Gold's eyes.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything; I've just been on an emotional rollercoaster all day."
"There's no need to be sorry, love. You were fond of him and he was a good man who didn't deserve to die." Gold offered weakly. In an attempt to avoid the emotion boiling beneath surface, Emma changed the subject.
"So tell me, why were you guys out so long? Did you go to a lot of shops?" she asked curiously.
"No, actually, Belle was just enthralled with everything and every decision took an hour all its own." He began with an amused smile.
"See, Belle couldn't decide if she liked the regular oak or cherry oak furniture more; finally deciding on mahogany. And the paint color for the bathroom; she was torn between ice blue and rain water blue. For my life, Emma, I could not distinguish a difference in the two colors, but she insisted that one was lighter and the other was darker with a 'dash' of purple…" Emma pressed her lips in a tight line, doing her best to suppress her laughter at his animated retelling.
"Then we stopped by the library and dropped off all the information with the contractors, and she instructed them what colors go where. They said they should be done by tomorrow and I practically had to drag her out of there…she is so excited. I think Granny was very upset with me when I dropped her off; I told her I'd have Belle back in an hour or less and we were gone for over five." Emma stopped her ministrations, no longer able to contain her laughter at his words.
"You thought you could take a woman shopping to decorate an entire apartment and be done in less than an hour?" she asked incredulously. At his continued blank stare she cleared her throat, attempting to regain her self-control. "You still have a lot to learn about women, darling."
"Yes, I know…" he admitted playfully, chuckling beside her. "So you had a good time, then?"
"I did indeed, yes…" And he had. Belle was every bit as beguiling and adorable today as she was all those years ago. "And apparently, there is a man in town that Belle is interested in…"
Emma studied his face intently; relieved that he didn't appear jealous at the thought of Belle with another man, more confused and intrigued than anything. At one time Emma had felt threatened by the presence of Belle; after all Gold had mourned her as his true love for over thirty years. Even though he had assured her that he no longer wanted Belle, Emma had prepared herself for their inevitable end. But he has never given her reason to doubt him, and she promised herself then that she would never turn into the jealous girlfriend.
"Who…?" Emma asked at last, resuming the massage.
"She wouldn't tell me." He replied in a huff of frustration. Emma went through all of the eligible men of Storybrooke she could think of, trying to imagine who Belle might be drawn to, or interested in. Only one name came to mind and she desperately hoped she was wrong.
"I hope it's not Whale…" she stated glibly, "He'll sleep with anything that breathes…" Gold pinched the bridge of his nose, imagining his innocent Belle being seduced by Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
"Emma, please don't put that image in my mind…" Gold pleaded, lifting his head to meet her eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled beneath her breath. Gold studied her face as she focused intently on the task at hand. Emma had to be the most understanding woman in the world to be as accepting of Belle as she was. He couldn't think of too many women who would have been nearly as patient and supportive in the same circumstances. It only reminded him again how truly lucky he was.
"It's just that she's still so vulnerable here; I only want to ensure she's not putting herself in danger."
"Well, we're having drinks Friday night…I'll ask her then." Emma offered, hoping to set his mind at ease. A silent nod was his only reply. Gold watched her in awe; at a loss as to why she insisted on doing these things for him when he had done absolutely nothing to deserve them; deserve her. Due to his recent betrayal it should be him pampering her, not the other way around. Straightening up in his seat he gripped her hand to stop her, gently sliding his foot from her lap to the ground.
"That's good enough, love…" He whispered, kissing the back of her hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome…" Gold traced his thumb over the back of her hand, unwilling to let her go.
"I don't suppose I could convince you to leave early with me…" he asked hopefully.
"As a matter of fact, I'd love to…" Emma was only too happy to get out of here. A broad smile formed on his lips as he stood from his chair. Emma moved to turn off the computer, seeing the webpage of computers still displayed on the screen.
"Oh, wait; before I forget…" Emma grabbed his hand, pulling him back down to his chair. "I think we should get a computer and an internet connection at the house." Gold stared at her wide-eyed and confused, not exactly sure what she was talking about.
"I can start searching for Bae on the station's computer, but then I'll also be able to work at home as well. We can order one online here and I already have one picked out; I'll just need your credit card…" Before she even finished talking Gold was searching for his wallet.
"Yea, sure absolutely…whatever you need." Gold stammered, handing her the card without hesitation. He watched mystified over her shoulder as she clicked and typed away. He had no idea how to use the internet, but if it would help Emma him find his son then he would have no qualms in getting it for her.
"I had planned to take you on a road trip with me after the curse lifted and search for Bae that way. But then you got sucked into a portal and I discovered we couldn't leave…" he told her softly. Emma stood from her chair and turned to face him, returning his credit card.
"Well, I will find out as much as I can online and once you break this new curse, you've got yourself a date…" she promised enthusiastically, excited at the prospect of a road trip out of this place.
"You are so amazing…" he whispered trailing his finger along the edge of her face, the gratitude and wonder reflected in his eyes. Emma smiled brightly, resting her hand on his chest as the other tangled loosely in his hair, pressing herself against him. His lips claimed hers gently, the kiss infused with gratitude and the renewed hope of finding his son. He would never be worthy of her, of that he was certain. But he would never stop trying to be a better man for her – for Bae.
Emma melted into him, raising a prayer to whatever gods may exist in this world that they would find Bae. It's been his heart's desire for too long to be denied now. Emma moaned in protest when he broke the kiss, though he didn't relinquish his hold on her waist as their eyes locked. She stared at him blankly, having completely forgotten what they were talking about.
"I love you too…" she whispered. Gold laughed deeply, a sound Emma could drown in; it was so rare to hear him truly laugh. He offered his elbow with a simple smile; his eyes full of love.
"Shall we?" Emma took his arm eagerly, resting her head on his shoulder as he escorted her from the station.
"I'll drive…" Emma announced, unlocking the doors of her yellow bug. "No arguments here, dearie…" Gold replied with a wide grin. Emma tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell, unable to get home fast enough.
"So are you going to tell me what these plans are?" he asked finally as Emma drove.
"Well, nothing spectacular; due to Storybrooke's non-existent night life it will be a causal evening in. I've been promising you dinner and a movie for months…"
"Sounds perfect, love…" he whispered, smiling as he reclined his head against the seat. He gripped her hand over the center console, needing the assurance of her touch that this was all real. His fear ever gnawed at him, but for now those voices were extinguished by the hope of finally finding his son these endless lifetimes later.
The celebration at Granny's raged on around him as James sat alone in a booth, watching his wife laughing on with Ruby and Belle. With the discovery of fairy dust their hope of breaking this new curse and getting home had been renewed. But his thoughts centered on that briefest of moments when his daughter let her guard down and let him in. The scene played in his mind time and again; he marveled at how simple a gesture could have such a profound impact. Even though the curse had been broken, everything was still so wrong. His daughter could barely hug him, yet she trusted Rumplestiltskin above everyone else – loved him even.
The hardest part was accepting that Emma was in fact an adult, and more than capable of taking care of herself. And seeing them together only hours ago, watching as they walked arm in arm to the diner was the happiest he has ever seen Emma…and even seeing Mr. Gold himself smiling and laughing made him think twice. While every moment was a struggle not to do everything in his power to break them up, there was now no denying they made each other happy. Though actually accepting a man hundreds of years older than him as a prospective son-in-law was proving impossible.
"So she really promised you she'd tell us?" Mary asked almost excitedly as she rejoined her husband, picking up their conversation where they left off. James was startled at her sudden presence, nodding in response as he swallowed his mouthful of beer.
"Yea, apparently something Gold said to her last night made her change her mind…" He still couldn't believe that Gold was pushing her towards them, not pulling her away as he'd always feared. At least for that fact alone, he was beyond grateful to him.
"What did he say, did she tell you?"
"He said that you and I are the one's best suited to heal the wounds of Emma's past, and that she should just tell us so we can all move forward." James shook his head as the conversation replayed in his mind. "Emma said that she doesn't want to hurt us, and that's why she was so afraid to tell us." Mary diverted her gaze to the table, swallowing the tears that were rising to the surface.
"Do you ever think…that we made the wrong decision in sending her here?" she asked hesitantly.
"At first I did. I thought that if she had been cursed with us then at least we would've been together. But then I remembered that the curse was designed to rob us of our happy ending. Emma would never have grown up, and we all would've been kept apart and miserable for eternity."
"You're right…we did the right thing…" Mary reiterated, trying to convince herself. It's not that she didn't believe they did the right thing; it's that the knowledge of that fact did nothing to appease her conscious.
"And how come you never told me King George cursed you?" James asked suddenly. Mary's head turned sharply, speechless as she stared wide eyed at her husband.
"Well, I; um…who told you?" she stammered breathlessly.
"The man himself…and then Emma filled in the blanks." Mary stared confused at James as the full weight of his words hit her. With everything that has happened, it never even occurred to her that King George was the District Attorney here who almost sent her to jail. Having Regina as a threat to her family was bad enough, the combination of King George and Regina was overwhelming.
"Wait, he's here?! He's met Emma?" James nodded in response as he awaited her reply. Before Mary could respond, Henry slid into the booth across from them. Guilt was written all over his face as he sipped the contents of his mug, smirking innocently at his grandparents.
"Is that a coffee?" James asked with a suspicious stare.
"No…" Henry replied, hoping they believed him.
"Trying to stay up, huh?" Henry's gaze fell to the table, nodding wordlessly in response. Sympathy replaced suspicion as James studied his grandson, at a loss as to how to give him relief from the nightmares that plagued him.
"Still worried about those nightmares?" Mary watched sadly as Henry nodded again. Between sleeping curses, long separations and near death experiences, this family had been through too much. For the last two nights she'd been woken by the sound of Henry's cries, remembering all too well the nightmares he's experiencing. She had hoped that he would come out of all of this relatively unscathed; he was just too young to have already been scarred so deeply.
"Well don't be, because when you go to sleep tonight I'm going to be in the room right next to you." James promised, pulling the coffee away from him.
"Now maybe lose the java, and go grab a cocoa." At that Henry slid from the bench, rushing to ask Belle for a hot chocolate.
"We're going to be ok, right…our family?" Mary asked softly, watching Henry like a hawk.
"Of course we are," James assured her, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's just gonna take some time, that's all. Now this is a celebration in the hope of getting home. We should at least try to have fun to keep everyone's moral up."
Mary nodded silently in agreement, pasting the brightest smile she could muster on her lips as she forced herself to mingle. She always envied her husband's faith, his ability to believe that no matter what everything will work out in the end. After their time together in the Enchanted Forest, Mary's guilt equaled her joy and every so often surpassed it. She was haunted by the images of the disheveled nursery and all the moments and memories of Emma's life that had been lost. But in the end it was Emma who suffered the most having been robbed of everything. The last thing she wanted to do was celebrate, she wanted to go find her daughter and begin mending whatever wounds had been inflicted.
Emma set the timer on the oven, dinner cooking at last. When they got home she took a shower and changed, still feeling the dust and death of Regina's vault on her skin. Gold was reclining on his leather couch where Emma resumed her place beside him. She put her feet up with his, entwining their legs and curled into his side. She sighed contentedly as his arm circled around her shoulders. She had been waiting all day for this moment, when it was just the two of them and the chaos of the curse was locked outside.
"How's your leg?"
"Much better, thanks to you…" he replied, kissing the crown of her head.
"Good." "I have a gift for you…" Emma announced, reaching into her pocket. His eyes opened as he lifted his head, truly curious what she would've bought him and why.
"A gift…for me?" Gold asked genuinely surprised. Emma smiled brightly as she placed the gift in his hands.
"A cell phone?" he asked, inspecting it closely. The screen lit up as his thumb brushed over it displaying the date and time. Fascinating…another device he had never used that Emma would have to teach him.
"Yes, a cell phone. I had to order a new one and I figured while I was at it I would add you to my plan. I already charged it for you and I programmed my number and my parents' numbers just in case." She informed him. Emma studied his face, fearful by his lack of enthusiasm that he hated it.
"Well thank you." Gold said with a tight smile.
"You hate it…"
"No, no; it's not that. I just never really needed one before…I'm afraid I don't know how to use it…" He admitted sheepishly, a nervous smile on his lips.
"Well, I'll show you…" Emma said with a playful smirk, taking the phone from his hand. For the next twenty minutes, she taught him the mechanics of the phone; setting up a voicemail box and showing him how to retrieve them. He was quite amazed and even more concerned when she explained the GPS tracking feature that both their phones had, confused as to who would be watching them and why.
"No one is actively watching or tracking you…" Emma explained, trying to calm him down. "But if you were to disappear and I couldn't find you, I would just call the phone company and they would track your signal."
"Ah…" While he still looked confused, he seemed to accept the answer. Moving on, they texted an entire conversation just until he got the hang of it. But when she showed him the camera feature, it immediately turned into a photo shoot. He untangled himself from her to take a variety of shots from different angles. She had tried to take a photo of him for her phone, but he was less than cooperative simply taking another one of her before sitting back down.
"Here, you can even…" she began, taking the phone from his hands. Gold watched intently what she was doing, curious as to what fascinating thing she was about to show him. Emma gave him his phone back and then called him from hers. His eyes lit up as a picture of Emma filled his screen when she called him.
"This device is truly amazing…" he said, admiring photo he had taken.
"I'm glad you like it…"
"Is there a way to keep the phone lit? Why does it keep turning off?" he asked in a huff of annoyance. Emma shook her head, suppressing the urge to giggle.
"Uh, no, it drains the battery to keep it lit…"
"Right…" Emma groaned as the oven beeped, reluctantly pulling herself from the couch. She rushed to the stove, dishing out the chicken parmesan over a bed of pasta, drowning the food in red sauce.
With one last glance of the photo on his phone, Gold followed Emma to the kitchen. He drank in the sight of her from the doorway; a vision in a pair of black jeans and his favorite burgundy button down silk shirt. His eyes followed her to the table and it was then that he noticed how extravagantly she had set the table. Two candles were placed prominently in the center, and she had used the fine china rather than the normal dinnerware with a bottle of red wine chilling in the ice bucket.
"So tell me, why go through all this trouble? I thought you said it was casual…" Gold asked as he approached her, taking the bottle of wine from the bucket.
"Well, this our first dinner together since I've been back, just because it's casual doesn't mean it can't be special. Storybrooke is extremely limited and I wanted to have a romantic evening with the man I love." Her eyes danced flirtatiously, smiling up at him as she sat down. Gold quirked an eyebrow as he filled her glass with wine.
"And because I know the next few months are going to be chaotic between being a mother and a daughter, being with you, being Sheriff, and fighting Regina. I want us to have time together away from that, where it's just you and me and all the chaos of the curse is locked outside…" With a satisfied smirk, Gold raised his glass as he beside her.
"I'll drink to that, love…" Emma smiled as their glasses resounded, "Cheers…" Emma sipped her wine and the meal began in comfortable silence. The tension that had seemed to permanently hover over them these past few months was gone.
Gold tried not to eat too ravenously, but he was starving having missed lunch all together with Belle. "Delicious, Emma…" he complimented.
"Thank you." She whispered
"No, thank you…for…" all of their moments flashed before his eyes; from waking up with her in his arms and making love, to massaging his leg, helping find his son, and going through of all of this trouble just for him. "Thank you for everything today, Emma…"
"You don't have to keep thanking me…but you're welcome."
"So, what do you want to do tomorrow night for your parents and Henry?" he asked, certain she would want to do something similarly fancy. Or perhaps given the presence of her son she would want something casual and relaxed.
"Um, you pick. You're the master chef, whatever you feel like making. Just make sure you make the carrots, Mary really liked those. And I know we still have plenty of dessert left."
"Alright; fancy or casual?" he clarified.
"Casual. Do you mind wearing jeans?"
"Not at all. Oh, and please remind me; your mother asked me for the recipe to the carrots and I completely forgot."
"I will…" she promised.
"Speaking of your parents how did everything go with you father?"
"It was uh, kind of perfect. We just walked and talked, he told me about his mother and I told him the story of Henry's father was a lie…" her voice trembled as she spoke, still unable to believe she admitted that of all things to James.
"But you didn't tell him the real story either." Gold assumed. Emma shook her head, sipping her wine. "Well, at least it's progress." She nodded in agreement, regaling the rest of the details of her morning with James, carrying them through most of dinner. It gave him a small measure of peace to have been instrumental in reuniting Emma with her parents. As Gold listened, he couldn't help but envy Charming at least in this: having a daughter who was quick to forgive them and eager to know them.
Bae was always good, always so pure in heart, but he feared what being abandoned by his father him did to him. Was he still pure and good, or had he become jaded by the lifetimes of knowing his father let him go? As always he feared the worst, and that he would only lose his son again. Charming and Snow sent Emma through a portal to save the realm; Gold chose power over the one thing he cherished more than life itself to avoid his own weakness. The one act was noble, saving lives; the other act was evil, destroying them…
"Gold, are you listening?" Emma asked again, trying to get his attention. Gold smiled as he met her eyes. "Yes of course…"
"What was the last thing I said?" she demanded with a playful smile, certain she'd caught him in a lie.
"That the dwarves found fairy dust and that is when James left you." He told her, smirking victoriously.
"Just checking…" she replied, trying to finish the last few bites of her dinner.
"Do you know what I find interesting?" Gold asked, setting his wine on the table.
"Hmm?" she replied with a mouthful of pasta. He decided to wait and let her swallow her food before saying anything.
"You spent how many months asking me my first name, and now that you know it you still call me Gold." Emma had to laugh at the statement. It wasn't so much the name she was obsessed with, it was why he refused to tell her. And now she knows.
"Well, Rumplestiltskin is kind of a mouthful…" she said in her defense, giggling lightly. "I guess I could always call you Rumple, or Rum. What would you like me to call you?"
"It's entirely up to you; I was simply making an observation." Emma stared at him skeptically as if that was somehow a trick statement.
"Ok…then for now I'll stick with Gold only because it's shorter and it's what I'm used to."
"As you wish…" he whispered softly. Emma smiled at his words, knowing they meant so much more. At that he stood, collecting their empty plates. "So, I will do the dishes love, while you set up that movie…"
"No, I'll take care of the kitchen. Dish yourself out some ice cream and I'll be in a moment."
"No, I'll do the dishes; you cooked, that's the deal." He argued setting the dishes in the sink.
"I'll tell you what; I'll clean up the rest of the kitchen while you do the dishes. We'll be done in no time." Emma suggested. Gold wanted to argue but by the challenging look in her eyes, he could see there was no point in trying. With that he began washing the dishes as Emma cleaned up the rest of the kitchen. Between the two of them they were done in less than ten minutes as she knew they would be.
"Ok, we have to pick the movie…I got two." Emma said as they walked into the living room. "Since I feel horribly guilty about making you sit through a sappy chick flick I decided to pick two, all-time classic macho male movies…" she said holding the first movie up in her hand.
"There's Die Hard; movie about a NY cop who gets taken hostage during a Christmas party, forced to take out a group of terrorists alone. Or Batman, movie about a billionaire socialite by day turned vigilante superhero by night in the form of…well, a bat." If Emma had a camera she would've snapped a photo of the baffled expression on his face, looking between the two movies.
"Uh…I guess…Die Hard?" he said questioningly, looking to Emma for approval.
"Interesting…I thought for sure you would have gone with billionaire socialite turned vigilante…" Emma said, cocking an eyebrow as she set up the movie. Gold shook his head as he reclined on the couch, unsure if he should be flattered or offended at the statement. Emma laid down resting her head on his leg as the movie began.
The movie was slow to start as Emma remembered. Though, Gold seemed content to watch her more than the movie; her eyes closing at the feel of his fingertips stroking her face and hair. Emma has seen this movie a hundred times over and didn't mind missing a few minutes.
"What kind of ice cream do you want?" she offered, standing up before he lulled her to sleep. For the first time, Gold was prepared to deny ice cream if it meant Emma returning to his side.
"Um, Rocky Road…" Emma nodded and turned on her heels.
"I'll be right back…" Gold returned his focus to the movie, though he didn't quite understand their purpose. Emma was much more interesting to him and with her at his side he would rather focus on being with her than watching a movie. But Emma seemed to enjoy them, so he went along with it. Emma returned with the ice cream in hand, draping her legs over his as she diverted her attention to the tv screen.
James pulled the covers over the now sleeping Henry as Mary watched silently from the doorway. The party wore him out as he had hoped, even though it still took an hour to get him to sleep. By the time they arrived home, the full moon had taken its place in the night sky, and despite their efforts to the contrary Ruby had locked herself needlessly in the freezer out of fear of the wolf.
"Alright, he's asleep." James whispered, slipping his arm around her waist. Mary smiled as his broad arms circled around her, hugging her small frame against him.
"That's good…" she whispered, her head rested comfortably on his chest as they walked to the couch. James sighed heavily in relief that the day was finally over, smiling as she cuddled along his side. His fingers trailed the expanse of her back as she rested her chin on his chest, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes.
"And to answer your question I was going to tell you about King George," Mary began, answering the question he had asked earlier. "…but then your mother's pendant started moving. It was at that moment I realized what she and Lancelot had done and that my curse was broken. Then there didn't seem to be a reason to tell you…" she paused for the length of a breath, her gaze focused intently on his blue shirt as she continued.
"…and I was also a little afraid that you would hate me…that your mother died so we could have a child." She admitted nervously. James shook his head incredulously at her words.
"Snow, I could never hate you. I just wish you would've told me. I need to know when there is a threat like this to our family." He said softly, not a trace of anger or judgment in his soothing voice.
"I promise I'll never keep a secret like that again." She stated firmly in hushed tones. James kissed her temple, pulling her tighter against him as he lay down on the couch.
"So, do you want to sleep down here with me while I stand guard, or do you want to sleep upstairs?" he asked, smiling up at her as she lay over him.
"I'm staying with you…obviously…" he smoothed the short strands of hair from her face as Snow brought her lips to his. His strong arms crushed her against him as the kiss intensified, but with Henry in the next room it couldn't go further than this. He looked forward to a day when all this madness was behind them, and they could focus again on just being with each other.
"I love you so much, Snow…" he whispered gruffly, catching her lips briefly once more.
"I love you too, Charming…" she whispered, smiling against his lips. She rested her head to his broad chest as his arms secured her in his protective embrace. Sleep seemed to claim him instantly as Mary lie awake, trailing small patterns over his torso. Since she and Charming met their entire relationship has been riddled with the struggle, and now it seems that tradition has been passed on to her daughter and grandson. She fell into a fitful sleep, longing for a day when the battle was over and her family was together and safe from all harm.
He ran his fingers through the length of her hair, watching her sleep. The movie had long since ended and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her, but alas, his hand moved along her back shaking gently. It was moments like this when he cursed his leg even more, wanting nothing more than to be able to carry her to bed without waking her. Emma stirred slightly groaning in protest as he continued to move his hand over her back. She yawned sleepily as she stretched her body across his lap; her eyes finally opened, looking around in confusion.
"Is the movie over?" she asked disoriented, looking up to see him smiling down at her.
"Indeed…" he whispered, trailing his fingertips over the exposed skin of her abdomen. How could she have fallen asleep in the middle of their date night? The night she planned… Either she had seen this movie too many times or she was much more tired than she realized.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered sheepishly, feeling her face flush. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Because you seemed to need to sleep…"
"Hmm, I'm sorry…" Emma mumbled as he helped her sit up. "So did you like it?"
"Very much so." Gold replied, rising to his feet. "Now come along, my love, let's get you to bed. It is obvious that you are exhausted…" Emma leaned heavily against him, walking in a trance like state up the stairs.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep…" she mumbled as they reached his bedroom. Gold could only chuckle at how upset she was that she fell asleep, this being the third time she apologized.
"It's alright, love." He whispered, setting her on the edge of the bed. Emma crawled beneath the covers fully dressed as Gold moved around the bed to change. He had hoped she would change out of his shirt before she fell asleep, but she was out cold as soon as her head hit the pillow. Gold peeled back the covers and climbed in beside her, watching her sleep in contented peace. His heart was full; there were no words to adequately express the depths of his gratitude or love for her in this moment. His fingertips traced the edge of her face, pressing his lips softly to her forehead.
"I love you, Emma Swan…" he whispered, clutching her hand against his chest. His arm slipped around her waist snuggling closer, unable to get close enough. His eyes drifted closed falling asleep almost instantly; hearing in the distance the howl of a lone wolf beneath the moonlight.
Again, hope you enjoyed it! With school out the holidays done I should be able to update a bit more frequently this month.