The next day Henry found Mrs. Gold in the same booth, and he walked right over to her sitting opposite her again. "Rapunzel?" he smiled at her.
"What?" she asked him.
"That's who you are isn't it?"
"Well I guess anything is possible." she grinned at him.
"Do you think a curse is possible?"
"What curse?"
"That's what the book says is what happened."
"Happened to who?"
"Everyone! Everyone here is in this book. Their trapped."
"What are you going to do?"
"I need to find Emma. She's the only one who can bring back the happy endings." The boy explained.
"I really hope you find her Henry. Don't let anyone talk you out of it."
"Will you help?"
"I can't. Only Emma can." Mrs. Gold ordered Henry a hot chocolate with cinnamon, and they sat drinking for a while.
Then Henry asked curiously "Hey Mrs. Gold?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"I think you just did." She smiled.
"You know what I mean." he said trying to be mature.
"What do you want to know?" she asked leaning in.
"Why did you marry Mr. Gold? Everyone in town is afraid of him, but not you why is that?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Everyone wants to know. There are a bunch of theories."
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like for money, or he bought you online, or that you made a deal with him you couldn't keep and had to marry him." the young boy listed.
"Wow... Those are some theories."
"So why did you marry him?" he asked again.
"Why does anyone get married?"
"Because they love each other." he answered rolling his eyes.
"Did anyone ever think that could be the reason?"
"I guess not."
"Henry, Mr. Gold is a complicated man. And he puts on a show so that no one will hurt him, but after a while of pretending to be something, you become it."
"And you met him before he was mean?"
"No. I did met him after the world had dealt him a bad hand in life, but I accepted him just as he is, and he does the same for me. He shows me he loves me."
"How?"
"Well sometimes by saying so, caring for me when I'm sick, by supporting me, sometimes by not beating me to death with a cane." she joked.
"He beats people?"
"He isn't going to hurt you Henry." then her face become very grim. "I want you to promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me that no matter how big or small your wish, and no matter how much you need it, you will never make a deal with Mr. Gold. Not for anything."
"Why?"
"He can work magic and get you anything in the world you could possibly want, but there will always be a price."
"I guess that makes since. You can't get something for nothing."
"That's something your mom learned the hard way."
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Gold was the one who got you for her."
"Mr. Gold's my dad?" he asked shocked.
"What? No. He's-" she paused what she almost relieved. "Oh you didn't know."
"Know what?"
"Oh Henry its nothing to worry about. Forget I said anything."
"No what are you hiding from me."
"Well Henry I really think that's something that-"
"Why hello." Mr. Gold interrupted.
"Hello Mr. Gold." His wife greeted.
"Hi Mr. Gold." Henry murmured little disappointed.
"Hello Mrs. Gold, young Henry. May join you?" Mrs. Gold moved over so that he could sit. "I do hope I'm not interrupting."
"No not at all." Mrs. Gold said.
"What were you two talking about?"
"My mom is hiding something from me."
"What would that be? Your adoption papers?" The old man joked.
"I'm adopted!?" Henry shouted.
"Oh. I'm sorry Henry. I thought she told you." Mr. Gold apologized.
"Do you know who my parents are?" Henry asked excited, but the couple sat quite. "Its not you two is it?" the boy asked feeling dissatisfied with the idea that the couple could be with his parents.
"No." Mrs. Gold shook her head.
"Believe me Henry if I had my son with me I wouldn't give him up for the world. And no, I don't know who your parents are. Your birth mother requested a closed adoption."
"Oh." Henry was discouraged.
"But I could find her for you." the man offered. "It may cost you, but I can do it without question."
"You can?"
"Why yes I can. Would you like to make a deal?" he smiled down to the child, and Henry smiled brightly, but his smile crept back as he realized what Mr. Gold was trying to do.
"No."
"No?" the older man asked baffled.
"Well Henry I am sure you will find your own way." Mrs. Gold said happy at the boys choice.
"Oh no!" The table heard Ruby say. "Mary Margaret left her card."
"I can take it to her." Mr. Gold offered.
"No I think Henry should." Mrs. Gold announced.
"Really?" her husband asked.
"Yes. He has class tomorrow anyway, so why not?"
"You mean other than the fact he's ten?"
"I can do it!" and He jumped up from the booth and snatch the card from Ruby, and with his backpack ran to the door. "Thanks Rapunzel!" and with that he took off home.
"Rapunzel?" Mr. Gold turned directing his question to his wife. "Where would he get an idea like that?"
"I think he read it in a book." she responded sipping her drink.