Yay! New chapter. :D I really really like this chapter, though it gave me the wiggins because I was suddenly left wondering why Mr. Gold wanted Ashley's baby anyways. They never really did explain that on the show...what would he had done with little Alexandra had Gold managed to get his hands on her? The world may never know.
November 12, 2011 Continued
"So," Emma asked Ruby as they all stood outside of Granny's- watching a tow truck slowly lower Ruby's car to the street. "This boyfriend of hers- you don't think he was involved in her disappearance?"
Ruby rolled her eyes, disgust in every line of her face, "Uh, that would mean he was involved with her at all, which he isn't. He left her in the lurch right after they found out they were expecting. Hasn't spoken to her since. Like I said- he's a-," Ruby was suddenly distracted from her righteous anger by her car being dropped with a thud on the ground. "Hey- hey- hey, Billy!" she shouted at the mechanic, "Be careful! You almost shattered my wolf thing, Billy," she pouted, indicating a crystal red wolf charm hanging from the car's rear-view mirror, "It's good luck."
The mechanic smiled and placated the girl, "I'm sorry Ruby, but look- it's fine."
"Um, Ruby-," Emma attempted to get Ruby back on track, "What about her family?"
"Um," Ruby considered for a moment, "She's got a stepmom and two stepsisters that she doesn't talk to."
"Wait," Henry interjected before Ada could say something uncomplimentary about certain denizens of Storybrooke, "Stepmom, stepsisters, and she's a maid?"
Both Emma and Ada could see where this was going and interrupted the boy, "Henry, not now," and Ada continued in an undertone, "You might break our cover."
Henry quieted quickly with that.
Ruby looked amused at the three of them, before becoming serious again, "Look, I don't know what you've heard, but it's wrong. Everyone thinks she's not ready to have this kid, but she's trying. Taking night classes, trying to better herself, trying to get her life together. Can you understand that?"
Emma darted a look to Henry before answering, "I think so."
Ada examined Ruby, "You know something, Ruby?" the waitress looked at Ada expectantly, "You're a very good friend." Ruby awarded Ada with a beaming smile, giving a little shrug.
The brunette turned back to Emma, though, "Then maybe you should just stay out of it. She's been through enough already."
Emma sighed, "I've been through it, too, Ruby, and I can help her," Emma assured her.
Ruby studied Emma for a moment before nodding with a sigh, "Then try her ex."
"Where can we find him?" Ada asked.
"He lives with his dad," Ruby told them.
"I think maybe you should wait in the bug for this one, kid," Emma told the boy as they pulled up in front of the Herman household.
"What?" the boy asked, "But you let me help interview Ruby!"
"That was Ruby," Emma explained, "This man- he might not be that nice a guy, so I want you to wait in the car on this one."
Henry pouted and looked beseechingly at Ada to be his ally.
"I'm with Emma on this," Ada said, "Besides, I can't curse in front of you, and from the sounds of things- I'm gonna want to cuss this guy out."
Henry's lips tugged up in a grin he didn't quite want to show, trying to maintain his pout.
"It's decided, kid," Emma said, getting out of the bug. "Just wait here, we shouldn't be long, and you can keep us in sight at all times."
Ada leaned back into the car to offer a suggestion, "See if you spot any suspicious activity in the neighborhood, Henry- you never know. Spot anything, and shout for us."
Henry nodded and practically glued his eyes to the window, already on look out.
Emma and Ada approached the front door of the house just as another car pulled into the garage. Emma knocked on the door and it was opened by a young man- probably Sean.
"Can I help you?" he asked, looking between the two women.
"Sean Herman?" Emma said in her most serious bails-bond-person voice.
"Yeah. Who are you?" the boy's eyes kept darting back and forth between Emma and Ada.
"I'm Emma Swan, and this is Ada Ward. We're- we're looking for Ashley Boyd. She's in trouble. I just thought maybe she came to see you-," Emma was cut off by the man who exited the car, storming up at them.
"My son doesn't have anything to do with that girl anymore, so whatever trouble she's in, I am sorry for, but there's nothing we can do to help you."
Ada decided she didn't like Mitchell Herman there and then.
"You're the reason he broke up with her," she hissed, Emma nodding her head, having already come to the same conclusion.
"Absolutely," Mr. Herman said, almost proudly, "I'm not gonna let my son throw his life away over a mistake."
"But it's ok for the girl to have to deal with it? Because your son obviously had no hand in the 'mistake' she's in, right?" Ada crossed her arms and stood toe to toe with Mitchell Herman. Emma sighed- Herman had to be at least two feet taller than her friend, and was by no means scrawny. Not that Ada would've taken that into account.
"I don't like what you're implying, Miss-," Herman gestured for her name.
"Ward. Ada Ward. And I thought someone should have the guts to tell you to your face that you're a pompous, misogynistic asshole, who apparently doesn't trust his son to make his own decisions and has no human feeling for a girl who is totally alone in this world through no fault of her own. Actually- the reason she's alone is you, Mr. Herman. I hope you're very proud of your boy- abandoning a woman and running away from a situation he helped create, leaving her trapped. Because she can't very well run away now can she? I guess you must be proud, since you're the one who told him to abandon all principles and take the coward's way out."
"Oh?" Herman questioned, his chest puffing up as he went toe to toe with the tiny redhead, though Emma noticed Sean had cringed and looked away at Ada's words, "And what were they supposed to do? Raise it in the backseat of a car?"
"Some people only have the backseat of a car," Emma immediately jumped in, feeling defensive.
"And they're to be pitied- I'm not letting that happen to my son," Herman's face was beat red and he was on the verge of shouting.
Ada decided to push him over the edge, her voice lowering, tone completely even, and Emma knew her sister was pissed, "Actually, Mr. Herman, you could've supported your son. Helped him and Ashley. Helped your grandchild. But I guess, had Sean made a decision you didn't agree with about his life, you would've kicked him to the curb then. The only reason they would've been stuck with a backseat would've been, again, you, Mr. Herman. Seems to me that it may have been Sean and Ashley who got pregnant, but this whole situation leads back to your doing."
"Dad," Sean cut in before Mr. Herman could really began to yell- or even take a swing at Ada (he looked about ready to), "Maybe we should help them look."
Mitchell Herman turned to his son with a glare, "It's a waste, Sean."
"Sean," Emma tried reasoning with the boy, "If you want to come, come. Stop letting other people make decisions for you. If Ashely runs away with this baby, she's gonna be in some serious trouble."
"She's running away with the baby?" Sean seemed shocked.
"No," Ada sarcastically replied, "She's running away from the baby- like you did," Ada dropped the sarcasm and continued, "Except Ashley would never do that, would she, Sean?"
Emma knew Ada was fired up over this- she always got a red-hot temper when she thought people were being abandoned by those who should stand by them. She was especially sensitive when it came to women and children. At nineteen, Ashley was almost both in Ada's eyes. Trying to get a handle on the situation before Ada went into an all-out brawl with Mitchell Herman, Emma grabbed her sister's wrist in an attempt to get the redhead to hold back some of her anger and let Emma take the lead.
But before Emma could add anything else, Mitchell Herman barked out his orders, "Sean. Inside. Now." The man turned back to Emma and Ada, "Listen, if I knew where that girl was, I'd tell you, believe me. I went to a lot of trouble to get her that deal."
"Deal?" Emma asked, "What are you talking about?"
"You don't know?" Herman's eyebrows rose, "Ashley agreed to give up the child. And she's been paid very well to do so."
"She sold the baby?" Emma was in shock and Ada was practically vibrating.
"You do realize the selling of human beings is illegal?" she hissed at Herman.
"Oh, you make it sound so crass," Herman objected.
"Is there any way it doesn't?" Ada practically yelled.
"I found someone who is going to give that child a proper home," Herman yelled back at her.
"And tell me, Mr. Herman," Ada was hissing again, and Emma was suddenly reminded of a cat- hissing and spitting at whoever dared piss it off, "What adoption agency did you go through? Was there a thorough background check? A home visit? Did you do these things yourself? Or did you just leap at the first opportunity to make this whole situation disappear as quickly as possible so that Sean could forget anything about Ashley Boyd and their baby? Who are you to judge what a person is capable of providing for their child? What gives you the right to make a decision for that girl?"
"Oh look at her," Herman sneered, "She's a teenager, and she's never shown any evidence of being responsible. How could she possibly know how to be a mother?'
"So you're the expert in what it takes to be a mother?" Ada fired back, "And did you ever look for evidence of her responsibility or did you just assume that at nineteen she had everyone handed to her her whole life? That she lived high and easy? Let me tell you something about Ashley Boyd, sir," Ada walked up again into Herman's face, "She's been going to night school, studying her ass of. She works at Granny's, trying to save up money, because she has no family- she is on her own. As the only person responsible for taking care of herself, I'd say she's got responsibility aplenty. But you don't give a damn about that or about that baby. You want to make what has become to you an uncomfortable situation and make it all disappear like it never happened. You don't want to risk Sean seeing Ashley with their baby and realize that you strong armed him into abandoning his child. You don't want to risk Sean regretting it and going to Ashley, offering his support. You don't want to risk your own parenting being called into question. After all "What kind of father raises a boy who gets a nineteen year old pregnant?"" Ada mocked, "Mitchell Herman, this situation has nothing to do with Ashley, the baby, or even Sean. It is all do to with you and your ego."
"Look," Herman's teeth ground in his jaw and he spoke through them, "I'm gonna say this once and then you are going to get off my property, I found someone who's going to pay Ashley extremely well, someone who is going to see to it that everybody's happy."
"Not everyone, Mr. Herman," Ada said over her shoulder as she pulled Emma away with her, "Just you."
"You do realize- Gold?" Emma asked Ada as they reached the Bug.
"Oh," she hissed, "I realized. I knew my prickings were bad with him for a reason."
"You can't double-cross Gold," Henry told them, eyes wide, "No one's ever broken a deal with him."
"I'm very happy to be the first," Ada gritted out, still beyond incised, "And this isn't a deal- it's a child. Gold won't have a leg to stand on. Birth mothers have the legal right to change their mind at any time before the baby is placed in a new home, and some states even have some time afterwards to allow the mothers to change their mind. Same with birth fathers, provided they haven't forfeited rights to the baby beforehand or waited too long. No contract signed before the birth is legally binding until afterwards."
"Wow-," Henry stared at her, "How do you know all that?"
"Ada's a child advocate," Emma explained, "She helps out kids and parents- sometimes she even arranges adoptions, so she's gotta know her stuff."
"And I'm mighty annoyed with how no one in this town seems to follow adoption laws," Ada growled.
"Huh?" Henry asked, not having heard the last statement from where he was sitting in the back.
"Nothing," Emma immediately responded, fixing a wide-eyed-stare at Ada, who had accidentally revealed her suspicions on the legality of Henry's own adoption. "But Ada's right. Anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well be allowed to be one." With that, Ada was somewhat separated from her anger, feeling her sister's pain at those words. Emma had desperately wanted to be Henry's mother- she just thought Henry deserved someone better to call "Mom." Ada reached a hand over and gripped her sister's where it rested on the gear shift, before quickly withdrawing it. She and Emma weren't usually very touchy-feely, but the subject of Henry, even before the boy showed up on their doorstep, was always an exception.
At that moment Emma threw the Bug into park, right in front of Granny's. Ada wasn't the only one angry, and Emma was about to have some serious questions for Ruby. She hated not knowing things about a case she was working on- and every detail was important with stuff like this. If she didn't know Ashley's full situation, how was she supposed to help her?
"Why didn't you tell me she sold the baby?" Emma immediately asked when she found Ruby at the counter, only noticing in her periphery how Henry and Ada had followed her.
"Because I didn't think it was important," Ruby responded, clearly feeling a little phased by Emma's wrath, controlled though it may be.
"Really?" Emma suggested, sarcasm heavy in her tone, "Considering that's the reason why she's running away?"
"Look," Ruby began, trying to get Emma to understand, "Ashley's my friend. I don't like the idea of people judging her."
"God, Ruby," Ada sighed, "We are the least likely to judge Ashley out of this whole town, but we can't help her unless we know what's going on with her!"
Emma at that moment noticed Ruby's crystal wolf sitting on the counter of Granny's. "Ruby?" she asked, eyes still stuck on the red wolf, "Where's your car?"
Ruby was silent.
Ada groaned, "Oh, god, you didn't send us to Sean to find her- you sent us to give her a head start."
"Look, I'm only trying to help her," Ruby defended.
"Yeah? So are we. Ashley's in more trouble than you know, Ruby. Where is she? Don't make her deal with Gold without us."
"Ruby," Ada added, "She legally doesn't have to give up the baby, but if she doesn't know that and gives birth before we can tell her, I can't guarantee what will happen. The deadline is when that kid pops and she's due any day!"
Ruby's eyes went wide, before her eyes darted to Henry and back to the women, "I can't talk in front of him. He's the mayor's kid."
Ada was once again left wondering how the mayor had so much fear over this town- considering so far she wasn't even involved in this case, but Ruby still wouldn't risk it reaching her ears.
"Hey!" Henry protested, "I'm on your side!"
Emma turned to the boy immediately, seeking to solve this as fast as possible. "Henry," she whispered to him, "I need to find this woman, and in order to do that, I need you to go home, okay? So please, listen to me- seriously. She's not gonna tell me anything while you're around."
Henry's shoulders slumped but he nodded, "Okay."
"Thank you," Emma told him on a sigh. Henry turned and left the diner, but Ada and Emma's eyes followed him.
"He doesn't have any friends," Ada murmured, remembering what the mayor had told them at the start of this crazy week.
Emma and Ada exchanged a look, before forcing themselves to put the issue aside for the more immediate problem- a heavily pregnant woman on the run, scared, with no idea of her rights.
"She left town," Ruby told them as soon as Henry was out of sight, "Said she was gonna try Boston. Thought she could disappear there."
"How long ago did she leave?" Emma asked, knowing it would be easier to find Ashley en route to the city than there. She'd be able to do it- hadn't failed to find anyone yet (except for two, very personal cases), but she wanted Ashley somewhere safe, with Ada to help her and guide her in her rights.
"About a half an hour," Ruby told them.
"C'mon," Ada said, already running to the car, "She couldn't have gotten far."
The two women dashed into the bug and buckled up, and Emma floored the car as fast as she dared. The car was silent, both of them focused totally on their goal.
"So, what did she tell you?" Henry popped up in the back seat, causing both women to jump and Emma to swerve the car slightly.
"HENRY!" Both women shouted. Then began to talk over one another.
"What the hell? I am going to Boston-," Emma began.
"That was so dangerous- you could've made us crash the car! What were you thinking?" Ada scolded.
"You can't come," Emma told him, holding firm.
"Why aren't you home? Do you want Emma arrested for kidnapping?" Ada continued to scold, but Henry had latched onto Emma's words.
"You can't go to Boston, she can't leave! Bad things happen to anyone that does," Henry's eyes were wide and insistent.
Emma sighed, stress getting to her, after this, she promised herself, she and Ada were going to have three bottles of wine. "I don't have time to argue with you over the curse. I've got to get you home."
"We have to stop her before she gets hurt. We're wasting time. If you drop me off, you'll never catch up to her," Henry reasoned, "Henry-," Emma sighed, trying to interrupt, but Henry bowled her over, "And then Mr. Gold will call the police, and he'll have her sent to jail."
"Okay-," Ada interrupted, holding her hands up like she was trying to hold off a fight, "Easy solution- Emma, stop the car, I will walk," she sent a glare at the ten year old, "Henry home, and you go find Ashley. Text me when you find her, and I'll meet you wherever."
Emma pulled to the side and let Henry and Ada out before speeding off again. Henry pouted, clearly thinking he was missing out on an adventure, and Ada stood before him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
"Henry," she began, pointing forward, "March."
Henry marched.
After a few moments of quiet walking, Ada sighed and began to try discussing the situation calmly, even though she still wasn't feeling very calm. "Henry, I realize this probably sounds like an adventure to you. More importantly, it was an adventure you could be with Emma on-," Henry opened his mouth to interrupt, but Ada help up a hand, "No. I'm talking, then you talk. We take turns, no interrupting. So there's no miscommunication. Now- like I said, I realize why you wanted to help on this. You want to help because you're good boy, who doesn't like to see people upset or sad. Or not getting their happy endings," she gave a soft smile to her sister's son, "But the fact of the matter is, you were being very selfish today. Ashley doesn't need a ten year old listening to her problems about her baby- she wouldn't feel comfortable talking in front of you, and we talked about this before, but you insisted on coming along. You distracted Emma and me from our job- helping Ashley. Because we were trying to keep an eye on you, we weren't able to keep an eye on Ashley as much. Now, that's not your fault. We should've insisted on you going home. So it's everyone's blame. But- that last stunt? Hiding in the backseat? That was very irresponsible. You could've startled Emma so much she crashed the car- and you weren't wearing a seatbelt, don't think I didn't notice. And if I hadn't been here to walk you home, and had Emma been forced to drive half-way to Boston to get Ashley? Mayor Mills could have had Emma arrested for kidnapping you. The priority for today wasn't you spending time with Emma- as much as Emma wishes she could make that a priority, today the priority had to be Ashley and her baby, and you weren't putting them first. It's not your job to, but when Emma and I tell you "no," I promise you, it's for a good reason."
Henry was quite for a few moments, his ears red, "Does she really want to spend time with me?" he whispered softly to his shoes.
Ada melted, hard as she tried not to- she needed to keep a clear head dealing with Henry, she had to be the responsible adult. "Of course she does, Henry," Ada paused for a moment, considering what to say next, "You know Emma gave you up for your best chance. That should tell you an awful lot about how much Emma loves you- she wants the very best for you. That's why she's still here. She's making sure that you have the best. I'll tell you something. Once, more than a couple of years ago, I got Emma very drunk."
Henry giggled slightly, just as Ada had intended with that statement.
"Of course," she grinned, "I might have been more than a little tipsy myself. But when grown ups get drunk they talk an awful lot, and sometimes a bottle of wine is the only way to get Emma to talk about anything. But that one night, she told me something I will never forget."
"What?" Henry asked, still grinning from the idea of a very drunk Ada and Emma.
Ada smiled down at the boy who so much had her sister's smile, "She told me about you. Told me about how much she hoped you had. How much she hoped you were loved. How she hoped you never even thought about her because you were too busy being happy with the people who had adopted you. And then she told me that there was nothing- absolutely nothing- in this world that she loved as much as you."
Henry's eyes were wide and his grin was lost in a shocked expression, "Nothing?" he whispered to Ada.
"Nothing," Ada confirmed with a nod, "And she means it. She will do whatever it takes for you, Henry- including giving you up. Now, she may not show it, but that's because she's scared."
"Scared?"
"Scared. Everyone gets scared, Henry, the feeling doesn't just magically go away when you grow up."
"I know," the boy confirmed, "I've seen plenty of people scared of my mom- but I didn't think Emma would get scared."
"Of course she does, because Emma's brave. "Courage is not the absence of fear. But the triumph over it." You can't be brave without being scared," Ada told Henry. "So you need to give Emma time. She'll do what she thinks is best for you, but she'll try to keep herself a little distant. She's not doing it because of you, Henry, it's because she's afraid. Ask Emma to face down a criminal? No problem. Ask her to deal with feelings? She's a big scaredy cat."
Henry nodded and was quiet for a minute, "So. What do you think of me?"
Ada peeked at the boy out of the corner of her eye, he was facing her, eyes locked on her face, but she thought she saw his fingers twitch a bit- a sign of nerves.
Courage- not the absence of fear.
"I think that you're a wonderful boy," she told him, "I think that you care about everyone so much you want to fix the world so it's a place where no one ever suffers. I think that you're brave, and kind, and funny, and quite a troublemaker. I think sometimes you don't think things through all the way- like hiding in the backseat," she gave him a slight glare and he had the decency to look sheepish, "But I think that, all around, you're probably the most amazing ten-year-old I've ever met. And, considering I work with kids all day every day for a living- I've meet a lot of ten-year-olds."
Henry smiled and applied his focus back to walking.
They were walking up Mifflin Street when Emma texted Ada, telling her she had found Ashley Boyd and they were at the hospital- Ashley's baby was coming now.
"Henry," Ada said, "Despite what happened today I'm going to trust you to walk the rest of the way home on your own. Ashley's having her baby and I need to get there to help her."
"You know my mom's not home till five, right?"
"She left you till five?" Ada repeated, distracted by that.
Henry shrugged, "Council meeting. She gets them sometimes on the weekend. But," Henry added, seeing Ada's look as she remembered the original purpose of this conversation, "I'll be home, you help Ashley."
Ada smiled and gave the boy a kiss on the head, "Good boy."
With that she turned around and ran (high heels be damned- she was not letting Gold get away with bullying Ashley Boyd out of her rights) to the hospital.
She walked in out of breath, but Emma saw her immediately and pointed to the room Ashley was in, already well into labor.
Ada insisted they let her in to see Ashley, and after arguing with the nurses for fifteen minutes, Dr. Whale shouted to just "let the damn woman in!" and Ada was beside Ashley, gripping her hand.
"Ashley," Ada spoke calmly, "Listen to me. You do not have to worry about a single thing but having your baby right now. Okay? I will deal with Mr. Gold. You are legally allowed to change your mind about your baby before it's born.
"Do you wanna keep your baby?" Ada kept her tone soothing.
Ashley sobbed a bit, labor pains along with all the stress getting to her, "Emma told me- ow!- told me I had to be ready. No running away," she took a deep breath and turned so her eyes stared directly into Ada's, letting the other woman see her drive, her sincerity, her pure need for her child, "I'm ready. I want my baby."
"Then your baby is yours," Ada told her, "So you better concentrate on what you're doing here, and if you want me here, I will stay here- I will only leave your side to kick Gold's ass. And you can trust me- I do stuff like this for a living. Okay?"
Ashley gave a strained nod, "I want you- could you-," she chuckled, "I guess guard the door? I don't want Mr. Gold to get anywhere near me."
Ada squeezed the teenager's hand, "Then he won't. I'll stop him in his tracks. You just focus on your job- being a mom."
Ashley smiled again, beautifully, "That sounds nice."
"Good," Ada grinned, "You'll be hearing it the rest of your life." With that she gave Ashley's hand one more squeeze and left the room.
She had a pawnbroker to deal with.
And what luck? Mr. Gold was already in the waiting room, Emma keeping the man away from the delivery room.
"A baby?" Ada heard Emma say, clearly incised, "That's your merchandise? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well," Gold smirked, "Because at the time you didn't need to know."
"Really?" Emma fired back, "Or you thought I wouldn't take the job?"
"On the contrary, I thought it would be more effective if you found out yourself. After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense... to you. I mean if anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, I assumed it would be you," Gold gave a smile.
"You're not getting that kid," Emma responded, after tensing at the implication in Gold's words.
"Actually, we have an agreement. And my agreements are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police, and that baby is going to end up in the system, and that would be a pity. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"
Ada had had enough, "Actually," she began, stepping into Gold's personal space, determined not to show any weakness, despite the overwhelming urge to barf at the prickings racing under her skin. "You have no legal standing. A birth mother is allowed to change her mind at any point before the baby is born, so no contract before the birth is legally binding until afterwards. And I haveseveral witnesses to Ashley changing her mind, including myself. Legally, Mr. Gold, you don't have a leg to stand on."
Emma and Ada stood side-by-side, their arms crossed, ready to do battle.
Gold sneered, "I like your confidence. Charming," he directed that last word at Emma, and Ada's prickings gave a jump, "But all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."
"Let me guess," Emma sneered right back, "To steal a contract?"
"Who knows what she was after," Gold replied with a shrug.
"No jury is going to put a woman in jail for trying to protect her child," Ada told him, "Especially when it's revealed she wasn't properly advised of her own rights. Furthermore, I will call in every single favor I have to help that woman. And you may be a big fish in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold, but you're just a small-town pawnbroker in Boston and I have a lot of friends who are willing to listen to what I have to say about you and your treatment of Ashley Boyd. You may even get your law license revoked."
"You really wanna start that fight?" Emma added on. Nothing had ever managed to stop her and Ada together, and she doubted Mr. Gold was going to be an exception.
Gold gave a smirk, "I like you, Ms. Swan. Ms. Ward. Neither of you are afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous."
"I think you'll find those terms are better applied to yourself," Ada told the man.
He just continued to grin, "Either way, I'd like to have you on my side."
Both women were silent, knowing Gold was backed into a corner between the two of them.
"You see, ladies, contracts, deals- well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence, so I put it to you now," he pointed to Emma, "If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"
"What do you want?" Emma immediately asked.
"Oh I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favor," the pawnbroker shrugged.
Just as Emma was about to respond Ada gripped her arm, stopping the words, "It seems to me, Mr. Gold, you have nothing we want. Ashley and her baby are in the free and clear. So what makes you think we owe you anything? Let alone a favor?"
Gold grinned, "Oh, very clever, Ms. Ward. No- I do have one thing. I may be a "small-town pawnbroker" but I am very powerful in this town nonetheless. And this town, well, that is where Miss Boyd and her baby are going to live. I can make it very difficult for them. All I'm asking, is for an inducement not to do so."
Ada's eyes narrowed, "There is nothing legal about this, and I could have you reported."
Gold smirked, "And where is your proof, Ms. Ward? Just your own word against mine. And I am a very stable citizen of small-town America, while you are a former foster child who might as well be a wandering gypsy with how settled down you are. Jury's going to love that. You may have the baby- but you haven't got me quite yet."
"Fine. But I'll owe the favor, not Emma."
"And why would I want that?"
"Why would you want Emma to owe you instead of me? I'm the one who really outwitted you."
Gold's smile was slow and considering, "True, Ms. Ward. Very true. Very well. Deal," and he offered a hand to Ada.
Skin crawling, she took it and shook it once, before turning on her heel and walking to Ashley's room, Emma on her heels.
As the two sisters walk into the room they see Ashley Boyd, holding a tiny baby swaddled up tight in her arms, looking tired by ecstatic.
"Hey," Ada smiled, waking in, Emma beside her.
"What's her name?" Emma asked, bending over to get a better look at the newborn.
"Alexandra," Ashley smiled, her eyes on her child, filled with wonder.
"That's pretty," Emma told the new mother.
"Gorgeous," Ada agreed.
"Thank you," Ashley looked up at Emma, "For getting me here. And thank you," she turned to Ada, "For helping me keep her."
Ada shrugged, "Hey, way I see it- you did all the hard work. I just argued a bit- and really, I consider that fun, so it was really more for me than anything."
Ashley laughed, eyes drawn back to her daughter like magnets. And really, Ada thought- that's the way it should be.
In a room at Granny's Bed & Breakfast, Regina Mills was getting dressed, speaking to the doorway that led to the bathroom, where someone was taking a shower.
"I have to go. Henry's expecting me home at 5:00," she said, straightening her clothes, "But I'll see you again, at the next council meeting. Oh, and don't forget, you left your socks under the bed."
With that, she left the bedroom.
Ada and Emma were still with Ashley, Ada helping Ashley to understand some of her legal rights and formulate a bit of a plan (as well as gushing over the baby's cuteness whenever they were in danger of being too serious) when someone knocked on the doorway.
Sean Herman stood in the doorway, and Ada's eyes narrowed at him, but when she saw the look in his eyes, and turned to see the look in Ashley's, she decided to let the girl fight her own battles this time.
"Well," Ada stood, "Emma, didn't we mention something about wine?" Emma stood as well from where she sat at the foot of Ashley's bed. "We'll see you tomorrow, Ashley. You still have my number, right?"
The blonde nodded, eyes still on Sean Herman, "Yes, yours and Emma's. Oh," her eyes darted back to the sisters as they were exiting the door. "And thank you again."
"Anytime," Ada said, and smiled.
Emma just shrugged before pulling Ada out the door with her, leaving Sean Herman, staring at his daughter, and Ashley Boyd staring at Sean Herman.
"Is that her?" the boy spoke for the first time.
"Sean-," Ashley began, but didn't know where to go with that.
Fortunately, Sean began to speak, his eyes flying up to look into Ashley's face, "I am so sorry. I never should have left you."
"You're back?" she asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yeah," he nodded, "I'm back. Here, I got her a present," he pulled some baby shoes out of a gift bag and the two laughed. "I don't know if they're going to fit," he shrugged.
"They're perfect," Ashley assured him, before the two kissed.
Ada watched as Emma dialed a number into her phone. Not sure what was going on, she merely raised an eyebrow as Emma spoke.
"Graham, it's Emma," the blonde sighed slightly, "I was thinking maybe some roots wouldn't be so bad. That deputy job still open?"
Across town, Graham smiled, "Absolutely."
"Then I'm in," Emma told him, "Regina gonna be okay with this?"
"I don't care," Graham told her firmly, "It's my department. I'll see you Monday morning."
"I'll see ya," Emma confirmed, and the two hung up. In Granny's Bed and Breakfast, Graham reached under the bed to grab his socks.
