Through A Glass Darkly

Chapter Five: Double Trouble

Bianca yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes in one fluid movement, smacking her lips to get the taste of morning breath out of her mouth. She sat up, raking the tangles out of her hair as best as she could before stumbling to the bathroom.

She had been staying with Ruby and Gold for nearly three weeks now, and was happier than she could ever remember being. At first, Gold had been less than thrilled at the idea of a teenager in his house, but when Ruby had given him the reason; he had immediately offered to castrate Dexter Case with his cane. Bianca had appreciated the offer, but still declined. Gold had worked out a deal with her-in return for room and board, Bianca would cook once a week and keep her room habitable and her laundry up to date. So far, the arrangement was working out perfectly.

Bianca brushed her teeth and combed the tangles out of her hair before heading downstairs to make herself breakfast. She peeked 'round the corner first, not wanting a repeat of one week ago, when she had walked into the kitchen to find Ruby and Gold engaged in some rather vigorous-and loud- wall sex. Bianca had turned as red as her hair before running upstairs. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yes, Miss Case, you may enter." Gold's voice was amused, and Bianca sighed in relief and entered the kitchen. Gold was sitting at the table, Ruby in his lap, their hands entwined. "Good morning."

"Mor…" Bianca yawned widely, and Ruby grinned. "Morning. What's for eats?"

Ruby pointed over her shoulder. "Pancakes on the stove, help yourself. Tomas love, I've got to run. Make sure Bianca gets off to school, please."

Bianca got her breakfast, and then addressed Ruby. "Why are you in a hurry?"

"Well, I've got to open the Diner, and then later today I've got an appointment with Dr. Whale for my ultrasound. Tomas, you will be there, right?"

Gold kissed her. "Darling, I would not miss it for anything. You'd best go; the citizens will be rioting if they can't get their coffee. Miss Case, when you've finished I'll walk you to school."

"I'm not a little kid." Bianca muttered under her breath, and Gold glared at her.

"I am aware of that, Miss Case, but I would rather not risk you being snatched by the bastard that helped birth you. Emma's doing her best to gather evidence against him, but it will take time. So until he's either behind bars or in a hole, I must insist on these little precautions."

Ruby looked over at her friend. "He's right. Tomas, I'll see you later. Love you."

"I love you too, Ruby."

After she left, Gold busied himself with the crossword puzzle while waiting for Bianca to finish her breakfast. He was slowly getting used to her presence, but still felt slightly uncomfortable around her, especially since he got the feeling that she had a mild crush on him. But she was easy enough to talk to, displaying a sense of intelligence and maturity that belied her age.

Now if only he could figure out who she really was. He had discarded several theories, each more far fetched than the next.

"I'm finished." Bianca's voice made him look up from his puzzle.

"Well done. Go get dressed and we'll be off." Bianca headed upstairs, returning ten minutes later dressed in a blue shirt and red skirt that stopped at her knees. "You look quite nice, Miss Case." Bianca blushed, and Gold couldn't help but smirk. He was right; she had a crush on him. 'It must be the accent.' "Are you ready, Miss Case?"

"Yes."

Gold stood, retrieving his cane. "Than let's be off."

It was a mildly pleasant day, and Gold and Bianca chatted as they walked to the high school. Gold had encouraged her to try out for Hermia, and today was the day she found out if she got the part. When they reached the school, a handsome young man with black hair and deep blue eyes waved to her from the steps.

"Bianca! Hey!" He came over, looking slightly uneasy at the presence of Gold. "Hey, I've been trying to call you, but I just get a dial tone. Did your Dad break your phone again?"

Bianca blushed. "No, Pete. I…I don't live with my Dad anymore. I'm staying with Ruby and Mr. Gold."

Peter Wolf smiled uneasily at Gold, who merely raised an eye at him. "Th…that's….really? Why?"

Gold glared at the young man. "That is between Miss Case and my wife. If she wishes for you to know the details of her life, it is up to her to tell you. Miss Case, I expect to see you after classes are over. You may either come by the shop and do a bit of dusting, or go to the house. I'll be in one of those two places."

"What about Ruby's ultrasound?"

Gold swore under his breath. "Damn it. Well, then…"

Peter spoke up. "I'll keep an eye on her, Mr. Gold. I've got nothing else to do."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea, lad."

"Mr. Gold, you can trust me. I won't do anything to Bianca. I was just going to ask if it was okay if she came over to my house to watch me practice."

"You play football?"

Peter laughed. "No, the cello. I've been doing it since I was seven. My music teacher thinks I could play Carnegie Hall someday." He grinned at Gold's surprised expression. "Yeah, I know. I don't look like a cellist, do I? But I am, and I really love it."

Bianca looked over at Gold. "Can I go?"

Gold frowned, still unsure, and then sighed, relenting. "Very well, Miss Case. But be home before ten, and do try to at least get some homework done." He fixed Peter with a stern stare. "Bring her straight home." Peter nodded, and Gold relaxed a bit. "Well, have a good day at school, Miss Case."

He headed for his shop, and Peter smiled at Bianca as they walked to their first class. "So, you're actually staying with him? It must be scary."

Bianca giggled. "Nah, not really. He and Ruby are kinda strict, but Gold's a lot of fun to talk to, and he's actually a pretty good listener. He's not the ogre everyone thinks he is, and he is completely nuts for Ruby. I overheard them discussing nursery plans the other day. He's really thrilled about being a dad." Peter grinned, and took her hand. Bianca went red, but made no effort to discourage him.

Gold's morning, which had so far had been pleasant, turned sour when he saw Regina standing in front of his shop. "Gold, we need to talk."

He stepped past her, unlocking the door. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood for a chat right now. Come back later."

"This is important, Gold. It concerns a runaway minor."

Gold gave Regina a confused look. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a business to run. Come back later, please."

Regina seethed in anger. "Fine. But if I find out you've been harboring Bianca Case, you will have to answer to the Sheriff. You know her father came to see me today?"

Gold shrugged. "Regina, I could care less about who comes to see you. Good morning, Madam Mayor." With that he stepped into his shop and shut the door in her face. He growled in frustration when she swanned in. "Regina, you are really pressing my last buttons. I'm not going to tell you where Miss Case is, so I suggest you get out of my shop. Please."

Regina glared at him, then turned and stomped out of the shop, slamming the door loudly behind her, causing his bell to jangle loudly. Gold sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples, and began to take inventory then moaned in frustration when the bell rang again. "Regina, I told you…Oh. Sheriff Swan, how can I help you?"

Emma smiled at him. "Regina giving you grief?" Gold rolled his eyes and nodded, and she frowned. "Yeah, she does that. Well, I've been doing a bit of poking around, and found something." She came over to the counter, placing a thick manila folder on it, and Gold opened it, flipping through the contents, his face growing darker. "Those are all records of hospital visits by Bianca Case, from the age of one year until just last month. She has had her arms nearly broken a total of ten times, numerous burns from cigars, lighters, and in one case a poker, numerous concussions, contusions, and fractures, and…at least two miscarriages before the age of fourteen."

Gold gripped the counter, seething in rage. "Sheriff, when you arrest Mr. Case, you had best make sure that he has some sort of protection from me, or I will give him a thrashing that will make what I did to Mr. French seem like child's play." Emma nodded, and Gold smiled. "Thank you, Sheriff. I trust you have enough evidence now to make an arrest?"

"More than enough. That poor kid, having to live like that." Emma paused, clearly trying to formulate another subject. "So…I hear Ruby's having her ultrasound today. You nervous?"

"How on earth did you know?"

Emma laughed. "I overheard Ruby telling Ashley." Gold 'hmmed' in understanding. "I didn't have the best time when I was pregnant, and giving birth to Henry in jail wasn't exactly how I wanted things to go, but…I never once regretted having him. I might have given him away, but I always wondered how he was."

Gold smiled at her. "Well, despite Regina's efforts to the contrary, your son is growing up to be a fine lad. To answer your question, I am a bit nervous, but also excited to know what I will be having."

"What are you hoping for?"

"Well, Ruby wants a girl, and I confess to being partial to that idea as well. I'd love to have a little girl that I could put in ribbons, bows, and lovely dresses."

Emma laughed. "I was born a girl, and I hated dresses." Gold chuckled.

"Yes, well, I'll make sure my little girl is given only the best clothes. And speaking of ultrasounds, I have to get going. Ruby's appointment was for twelve, and it's nearly that time." They walked out of the shop, and Gold turned to Emma. "Thank you for your help with Miss Case, Sheriff."

Emma grinned. "So does this count as that favor I owe you?"

"Perhaps. Good day, Emma." Gold set off for the hospital, whistling under his breath. Emma rolled her eyes in exasperation and headed for the station.

Ruby was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital reading when Gold came in. "There you are. Busy day?"

"I had a shit load of inventory to do, love. That and I was accosted by Regina. Seems Mr. Case came by her office, and she thinks I might know why."

Ruby frowned. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her that I had no idea where Miss Case might be. But I've got the feeling that her father is looking at a long stretch in prison. The Sheriff came by with some…information." At Ruby's inquisitive look, he sighed. "I'll show you later, love. I don't want you getting upset."

"Ruby?" Dr. Whale called her, and she looked up. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Tomas, are you coming in?"

Gold kissed her. "I most certainly am."

Whale took them into an examination room where an ultrasound technician waited, and Ruby hopped up on the bed, then lay down and pushed her shirt up, and the ultrasound technician coated her stomach with a substance that reminded Gold of petroleum jelly. Ruby shivered. "That's cold."

The tech smiled. "It is." She pulled the machine towards her, running the wand over Ruby's belly, and Gold gaped at the image that appeared on the monitor.

"Is that…"

Ruby nodded, happy tears in her eyes. "Yeah, it is. That's our baby. I think she has your eyes." Gold stared in awe at the screen, and the tech smiled, moving the wand so the parents could see. Gold blinked in slight confusion.

"Ruby, I think the monitor is defective. The babe looks like it has two heads."

The technician laughed. "No, Mr. Gold, the monitor is not defective nor does the child have two heads. Ruby's having twins."

Gold mouthed the word 'twins' then did something he had never once done in his centuries of existence.

He fainted.