disclaimer: I do not own once upon a time... or the characters... or really anything but the story line... so yeah... ENJOY!
Emma was having trouble sleeping. She couldn't eliminate a certain conversation from her mind, one that had surprised not only her, but her fairytale parents. Mr Gold, Rumplestiltskin, had a son. The man had knocked on their door the previous evening under the assumption that she would drop everything and help him find his long lost boy.
"I'm sure you know how it feels to be separated from your child, Miss Swan," he appealed, trying to manipulate her as usual into helping him. Rumpelstiltskin, also known for his obsession with contracts didn't hesitate to remind her "you owe me."
With Henry clinging to her, his arms like a vice, she had refused to follow him out of town. His displeasure with her was made known very quickly. "But you owe me, and I'm calling in on your favor. You must come with me." he had demanded.
Emma had only managed to push him out of her home on the basis that they would talk in the morning. "No one is going anywhere in the middle of the night" she had decided, before closing the door with a pleasant but wary, "goodnight Gold."
Now that she was in bed, lying in the dark, well and truly awake, Emma couldn't help but think something bad was about to happen. Rejecting Gold's offer would probably bring more unpleasant favors to be fulfilled. She was already unsure as to why he would need her to find Baelfire, if he could in fact cross the town line safely. "I've made a potion, but let's just say I need help with the 'finer details.'" His cryptic messages were not helping her anxiety.
Just as she was slipping off to sleep, a loud trilling rang through the loft. Groaning, Emma sat up. Searching for the origin of the noise, Emma climbed out of bed, wincing slightly as her bare feet hit the cold floor.
She found her phone on the kitchen bench, which turned silent as soon as she picked it up.
1 missed call
Sarcastically thanking her phone for the notification, she pressed redial and waited for the midnight caller to answer. As the phone rang in her ear she saw her parents slowly emerging from their corner of the loft. As they pushed through the curtains that separated their room from the rest of the house, the caller answered his phone.
"Doctor Whale. How may I help you?" the receiver answered.
Emma scrunched her face up in confusion. Why was the doctor calling her? "Doctor Whale?" Emma repeated, her eyes flashing over to meet her mother's gaze, "this is Emma Swan, you called?"
The medic cleared his throat before replying. "Yes… it would seem your services are needed sheriff. There has been a car accident on the highway near the town border. There were 4 people involved in the accident, and they have just arrived here at the hospital."
Emma's eyes widened. Gold. What had he done? "Thank you doctor, I have this situation sorted, you keep all the patients there at the hospital until I arrive." She ordered before hanging up.
"What's going on?" David asked as soon as she dropped her phone back onto the table.
"We need to get to work. There's been a car accident on the town border. I'm assuming Gold has something to do with it." Emma's eyes flashed in annoyance as she answered her father. David nodded at her his eyes full of concern.
"I need you to go down to the crash site to take as many pictures you can in the dark and collect evidence." Emma informed David, who nodded before heading back into his room to change.
Mary Margaret walked over to Emma, placing a comforting hand on her back before asking. "And what are you going to do?"
Making eye contact through the darkness of the kitchen, Emma replied forcefully. "I'm going to the hospital. Doctor Whale said that 4 people were involved. And there are no doubts in my mind that Mr. Gold is one of them. I need to find out what he did."
"Alright, well stay safe," Mary Margaret asked her daughter, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek before leaving her to get ready. "I'll look after Henry, you go be sheriff."
With a small smile at her mother, Emma walked up to her room to change.
It was still dark out as Emma pulled up out front of Storybrooke's hospital. Cursing Mr. Gold and his obstinate desire to hunt down his son, she walked into the emergency room. A kind nurse noticed her immediately and lead her down the hall. As she walked into the familiar wing of the hospital she began scanning for Dr. Whale. She could see him, over by the window, bent over examining a patient. However, before she could stalk over to him and demand to see Mr. Gold, a familiar face cropped up in her vision. A young doe eyed woman was sitting upright on a bed, wrapped in one of the always-attractive hospital gowns. As she noticed Emma, her face lit up.
"Emma!" she called out, "thank god you're here!"
Emma observed her, trying to place a name with her face. It wasn't until Mr. Gold, the man she had been so assured was involved, limped over to the girl's bed, that she realized who the brunette was.
"Belle? Is it?" Emma smiled politely at her before sending a harsh glare over her shoulder towards Gold.
"Yes, I'm Belle," she smiled nervously.
Emma looked from her to Gold, before questioning them both. "So, what happened? I heard there was 4 people involved… where are the others?"
The couple shared an unsure glance. "Emma…" Mr. Gold began.
"What?" She replied sardonically.
Mr. Gold looked her straight in the eye as he continued. "A stranger, it was a stranger. My curse worked to keep people away from Storybrooke, but tonight… someone came speeding up the highway, and almost crashed into Belle."
Emma replied hesitantly. "A stranger? Are you sure? How do you know that? It might be someone like August or I. possibly even your son." She remarked with a pointed glare towards Gold before continuing, "Somebody who traveled to this land before your curse. You know that's more than possible."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Gold was shaking his head. "No, no. He is not my boy. And there are only so many way's to travel from a realm of magic, to one without."
Emma was startled by his surety. "How can you know that though? He might be your son… you said you didn't know what he looked like or how old he was… It could be a possibility. I found a way, twice."
Rumpelstiltskin winced slightly at her reminder. "Yes, yes, I know how adept you are at realm jumping, but it's not normally that easy. It took me 300 years to find a way."
"You're 300 years old?" Emma asked, shocked, before shaking her head and moving on. "-never mind. Where is this 'stranger'?"
It was Belle who replied this time. "We don't know, we haven't seen him since we arrived, he was in pretty bad condition. You would have to ask Doctor Whale."
"Ask me what?" the doctor said as he walked up to Belle's bedside. "How are you feeling now?" he asked her kindly. "Has the morphine kicked in?" he murmured as he lifted her bed sheets gently to inspect her leg.
Belle nodded, grimacing slightly as he poked her wound.
"You know, that would be a lot less painful if you would just let me fix it." Gold whispered to Belle, whilst Emma peaked a look at her injury over the doctor's shoulder.
She gasped when she saw it. "Is that… a gunshot wound?" she asked immediately.
The three converged around the bed swiveled to look at her. Doctor Whale looked slightly surprised. "Yes… that's why we called you." He noted slowly.
Emma frowned at him, hating the degrading look he was sending her. "Miss French was shot, out by the town perimeter moments before a car came racing into the town limits. Her attacker was hit by the car, and he along with the driver turned out a lot worse than these two." Whale informed her.
"Who shot you Belle?" Emma asked the woman carefully. She wanted an answer from someone she could trust. Not listening to anything Gold or Whale uttered she stared at the girl. After a few moments of nervous silence Belle looked over at an occupied bed to her left. "Him" she murmured pointing slightly.
Emma nodded, and made her way towards the perpetrator. At first all she noticed was a male, with dark hair and in what she supposed was his late 20's. However, as she stepped closer the familiar face registered in her memory and she froze.
The man, who was trying to hide the pain on his face, was attempting to sit up. After moments of awkwardly arranging his pillows one handedly, he sat up properly and realize he was being watched. It didn't take long for a cocky grin to spread out over his face once he noticed who it was.
"Well, hello again Swan."
Emma's heart was racing as she stepped towards the bed. "What are you doing here?" she hissed at Hook. He merely smiled at her, enjoying the obvious stress he was inflicting upon her.
"I told you. I wanted to skin myself a crocodile. So I found a way to follow you." He said elusively with a small but significant glance towards Gold, who was watching their interaction.
"How about Cora? Did she come with you?" Emma asked quickly. If Cora was in town, there were precautions that needed to be taken. She needed to warn as many people as soon as possible. Cora's magic was unfounded, and she could be manipulating all of them without anyone knowing.
Hook didn't reply. But the smug grin that spread on his face and the shrug of his shoulders that he gave her was all the proof Emma needed. Cora was in Storybrooke.
Emma, knowing she wouldn't be getting any more information from Hook walked quickly from the ward. From out in the corridor, her eyes still firmly planted on Hook through the glass window, she called David.
He answered on the second ring. "Hey Emma, I think I have almost got everything…"
Emma was worried enough already, she didn't have time for small-talk. "David, go home now. I'll meet you there soon. You shouldn't be out there alone."
David scoffed into the phone. "Please Emma… I'm fine. What's going on at the hospital?"
"I'm not joking David, get home now."
"Emma. What's wrong?... has something bad happened at the hospital?"
"I guess you could say that… Captain Hook is here… and I have very strong suspicions that Cora is as well… in which case, you need to get home to Snow and Henry ASAP."
There was momentary silence on the other end of the line. "Cora?" David whispered like a little boy. "As in: Regina's mother?"
"One in the same… please just go home, I'll meet you there soon." Emma pleaded. "I have one thing to do first though."
David relented, "okay… see you soon, stay safe Emma!"
"Will do" she replied before pulling the phone away from her ear, and hanging up.
Observing the nurses, doctors and patients in the ward through the glass window, Emma formulated a plan. Storybrooke was no longer safe. Tonight's events had proved that. Strangers were beginning to enter, Hook was wielding a gun and Cora was hiding out somewhere.
Gathering all her courage, Emma strode back into the ward, and over to Belle's bed, where she and Rumpelstiltskin were talking.
"You still want to go find your son?" she quietly asked, aware of the evil ears sitting three beds away.
Gold looked at her surprised. "I thought you were averse to the idea of leaving town so soon?"
"I am, but I'll do it." Emma frowned. "On one condition." She added.
Mr. Gold raised his eyebrows warily. "And what would that be dearie?"
Emma took a deep breath, preparing herself for his response as she uttered her condition. "It's not safe here with Hook and probably Cora running around. If you want me to come with you… then Henry's coming as well."
Surprisingly, Gold smiled at her, merely asking with raised eyebrows if she would like to "Depart in one hour?"
So... New story :) This is my version (most likely miles away from anything that actually happens on the show but... oh well...) of what happens after the car crash in the Canadian promo... I hope you enjoyed this and I will try to update every couple of days :)