Hey guys!

So sorry about completely falling off the grid. There was a lot going on this last month. Birthdays, Christmas, breaking off my engagement, moving...blah, life. But I'm back and so we're going to continue our love for the holiday through the Charmings, Rumbelle, Captain Swan, Neal, Regina, Henry and a bit of Grace here and there.

Hope this chapter is long enough to make up for lost time :) Happy to get started with the next one after I get caught up on my other story.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chapter 4 of Black Friday Madness

"So uh, what happened?"

Mary-Margaret shot the curious Ruby a glance as Belle accepted the offered bag of ice the waitress offered her.

"I mean, I know it's crazy out there but of all people to get hurt I wouldn't expect you to. I mean if Gold finds out-" the woman went on obviously not paying any mind to her friend's don't-you-dare-keep-asking-questions kind of look.
"Ruby," Mary-Margaret warned in a tone that border lined being motherly, her voice effectively putting an end to the she-wolf's digging.
"Thanks Mary-Margaret but it's quite all right." Belle pressed the ice against her right eye while watching Ruby dampen a cloth in a clean bucket of water. "I honestly had it coming. I was quite a bear."
"You? A bear?" Ruby raised a brow as she offered the rag to the brunette. "Please. I can believe that being said about Regina, maybe even Mary-Margaret here, but you? When hell freezes over."

Belle smiled at the waitress, amused at her blunt manner and the mock hurt that Mary-Margaret displayed which proffered nothing more than a poke in the shoulder from the non-repentant Ruby.

"I don't know about that. I did push that woman down pretty good."
"The way she was built though…she fell like a tree," Mary-Margaret offered, a wicked smile crossing her features, the kind that was contagious and drew a smile from Belle.
"She did have a lot of momentum and the force of gravity working for her didn't she?" Belle finally gave in, her remark causing Mary-Margaret and Ruby to laugh in surprise.
"Hey sister! The whole point of eating at a diner is so I don't have to feed myself!"

All three women glanced over at Leroy in the next booth who only raised his brows at Ruby as if he could will her to the kitchen by using intense facial expressions. Ruby straightened her frame and slacked a hip, giving him a saucy smile as she tilted her head in his direction.

"Now, Leroy, hold your trousers. It's seriously been less than five minutes."
"The longest five minutes of my life," the dwarf grumbled under his breath, his expression growing somewhat pouty which contrasted greatly with his gruff exterior. It took all Mary-Margaret and Ruby had to not laugh at the comical image he displayed for them and instead they bit their bottom lips to keep the laughter at bay.
"Some things never change," Mary-Margaret sighed as Ruby left her and Belle's table to tend to the other patrons in the establishment. "He was just as hungry back when we were living in the Enchanted Forest…except there were six more of them. Eating. All at once."
"Sounds quite lovely," Belle let out on a smile.
"Definitely more fun than a ladies tea party, I'll give it that but all of them were bottomless pits. I would bring two deer back home from hunting and all of it would be gone in two days."
Belle raised her brows and gave a low whistle. "That's quite impressive."
"Which is more than I could say about your shopping bags," Regina's voice suddenly interrupted them. "Is that really all you managed to walk away with?"

Both women turned their gazes to see Regina standing just inside the doorway of the diner, her eyes lighting on the one tiny gift bag that held Mary-Margaret's one bottle of prized lotion as she closed the door behind her. Or at least tried to close the door.

"Looks like you made out like a bandit," Ruby remarked in passing which earned her a caustic smile from Storybrooke's ex-mayor.
"You would do good to learn, Red but for now is there a place where I can put my bags?"
"If by bags you mean half of Storybrook's shopping district, you can park them in your car. It's too crowded in here," Granny ordered rather regally from her counter, not even glancing up from her papers to give Regina the courtesy of a glance.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, your majesty. Move it."

The dining room grew somewhat silent as a dark glare crossed over Regina's features, her eyes slanting at the gray haired woman. Mary-Margaret knew both women rather well and knew that as intimidating as Regina made herself to be, Granny was just as stubborn. The woman wouldn't move off her word after she'd just made it.

Only a couple of seconds had passed when Belle finally stood up from her seat, a kind smile stretching out her fat lip so it looked somewhat normal.

"I'll help you out, Regina, let's go," was all she said, her can-do attitude lightening the mood in the small room just a bit to everyone's relief.

Mary-Margaret sighed as she stood up from her seat as well, swiping her offended lotion from off the table. With a half hearted smile, she walked toward her stepmother and reached for one of the bags on the floor and gave it an upward tug, frowning when it barely lifted off the ground.

"What the heck is in this? Rocks?"
"No, just all of the things you couldn't grab quickly enough," Regina huffed as the three of them divided the bags and stepped back out into the brisk weather.
"How did you get so much stuff?" Belle managed to ask several minutes later as they waddled up the street in the direction Regina led them, her voice sounding somewhat breathless from the weight of what she carried.
"With experience and a little help."
"It's cheating, Regina."

The queen only shot Mary-Margaret a withering look as she settled some bags onto the sidewalk beside her car which they had finally reached, her dark eyes lighting on the pixie haired woman as if to say something in defense of her magic before noticing the activity taking place behind Mary-Margaret. Mary-Margaret stared back at the woman, geared for whatever verbal ammo Regina was intending to throw her way before she noticed the amused look cross over the other woman's face.

"Well, that's not suspicious or anything now is it?"

Wordlessly, Belle and Mary-Margaret turned their gaze toward the part of the block Regina was currently smiling at to see two familiar people crossing the street to the other side, obviously lost in their deep conversation enough to not notice the three ladies.

"Rumpel?"
"And Emma," Mary-Margaret frowned.

So Gold had found her after all. She kind of felt sorry for whatever embarrassment Emma had suffered if Gold had stumbled upon her and Hook if they were...she shook her head and let that thought discontinue. As sorry as she felt, she was also relieved that her daughter, the sheriff, was back on patrol. If that was what she was doing.

"What are they up to?" Belle's voice asked, her tone on the edge of suspicion and sounding very much like Mary-Margaret felt.
"I don't know."
"There's only one way to find out," Regina smiled as she popped the back hood to her car open and picked her bags back up off of the sidewalk. "Pile them in ladies and get in the car. We're going to see what it is exactly that those two are up to."

"So you and Hook…"
"Shut up, Gold."
"A little touchy I see."

It took all Emma had not to lash out in agitation. Of course, she was touchy. Not only was she missing her shift on Black Friday of all days to help Gold without her backup deputy available because her deputy was more than likely nursing a hangover, but she was also missing out on what would have been several pivotal moments in her and Killian's relationship. To help this man. This irritating man who had a knack for having the worst timing ever. She was never making a deal with him again.

"Anyway," he started and she wasn't sure if she should be dreading the subject change or be thankful for it, "Lucifer had a sister who looked exactly like her. Hopefully she'll still be available."
"And if she isn't?"
"Well, then. We'll just have to find the family who adopted her and procure a way to make the cat mine."

He shot her one of his reptilian smiles as he reached the end of the sidewalk and she tilted her head at him.

"I don't think so, Gold. If I'm helping you with this, we're doing it my way."
"Ah, I think not, dearie," he said in that sing-song way of his. "That's the thing about favors. It is you who owes me."

Emma only shook her head as she walked beside him step for step in the crosswalk, glancing over to her left to hide just how hard she was biting the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. Instantly she felt her eyes widen when she realized exactly who it was that was standing down the block from her and in a panicked way that was almost childish, she grabbed at Gold's coat sleeve and jerked him through the rest of the intersection up onto the sidewalk and around the corner, out of view from the women.

"What the hell, Swan. What was that about?"

Gold glared at Emma as he pulled his arm from her vice-like grasp and straightened his coat and jacket while she herself took a step back and looked over her shoulder as if the three women would appear at any second.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want to get caught by Belle and explain to her what it is we're doing? Because if that's the case then be my guest."
"Belle? She was-"
"Down the block with Mary-Margaret and Regina. You can say thank you any time when you feel like it."

He stared her down for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"Thank you, now let's get going before they catch up with us. The shelter is just across the street."
"The last place they'll be looking for you I'm sure," Emma mumbled, highly doubting that Belle would think of looking for her honey bunches where the cute and cuddlies were.

She followed him across the street, never minding the rule about jaywalking. She thought any law against jaywalking was ludicrous anyway especially in a town as small as Storybrooke.

They reached the shelter and Gold held the door open for her, gesturing with his hand for her to advance him into the building. The front of the shelter was clean and tidy, several pictures of adopted animals and their families catching Emma's eye as Gold came in behind her. A man whom Emma didn't recognize smiled rather brightly at her from the counter and she knew the moment he recognized Gold with her because his lips froze in place and the spark in his eye dimmed somewhat.

"What brings you by? Is Lucy alright?"

Emma moved out of the way, allowing Gold to make the requests but not before she gave a small apologetic smile to the poor guy.

"I'm afraid not. Some hooligans did Lucifer in last night and tried to frame me for it. Belle is not aware of the situation however so I was hoping that her sister would still be available."
"Um, let me check."

The sound of his voice made Emma's heart drop. The cat was already taken if the tone of his voice was a clue but she patiently watched as he turned and took a folder from the shelf behind him and set it on the counter between them. Gold looked like he was about to become unhinged as the guy slowly flipped through page after page before stopping and letting out a sigh.

"I'm afraid that Lucy, eh, Lucifer's sister was adopted out just three days ago."
"Well, that puts a tiny dent in my plans now does it?"
"Do you have any other orange tabbies available?" Emma dared to ask, hoping above all hope that the answer would be "yes".
"Not that I know of but we do have…just wait a second. I'll be right back."
"Actually, would it be alright if we came with you?"

The man looked as if he wanted to bolt and Emma wasn't going to put herself at the risk of having to wait out his return with Gold if he decided to flee the scene. She must have thought correctly because he gave her a stiff smile and sagged his shoulders in defeat before nodding.

Her and Gold followed him down a hallway before he opened a door and let them take in the sight before them before pressing forward into the room.

For it being an animal shelter, it was surprisingly warm and welcoming, the cement floor painted in a black and white zentangle design while the walls were painted with bright, vivid colors. Each cat had a cage to itself and she was about to ask where the dogs were when Gold's victim explained that they were in the Cat Room.

"You mean there's a Dog Room?"
"We have to separate them out. It makes it easier for parents who want their kids to get a dog or vice versa to get what they want without the child getting hung up on something different than what the family could handle as well as various other reasons that make it easier for the staff."
"There aren't a lot of cats."
"Tis the season where everyone wants to get their child a pet I suppose."
"See any orange tabbies?" Emma asked Gold who was already peering into each cage, not at all surprised to see most of the cats would either stare blankly back at him or back up into the corner farthest away from him. She would do the same thing if she was told that she would have to live with him against her own free will until she died.

He stopped at the end of the row and glanced over at Emma, the look on his face looking somewhat defeated.

"Not in this row."
"The closest thing we have to an orange tabby is this little guy right here," the worker's voice came from around the corner and both Emma and Gold followed the sound until they saw him.
"Little guy? You're kidding right? That cat looks like it ate a cat," Emma finally managed, her eyes widening at the size of the cat the man held in his arms. It was huge.
"That will not work. Not at all," Gold glared at the man in disappointment, causing the guy to let out a long sigh and a short nod.
"You don't happen to have a spell to slim him down do ya?"

Gold gave Emma a withering glance but her eyes were still on the cat who was staring up at Gold as if considering him in a way that was almost human. Before she could think on it any further the cat jumped from the worker's arms in a surprisingly agile manner and headed straight for Gold, its tail standing straight up and it's walk jaunty as if greeting a friend.

"What the-"

Emma steadied Gold as the cat weaved its way through his legs, rubbing the side of its face on his pants and purring loud enough for all of them to hear. She watched in amazement for several seconds before glancing up at the employee who had his brows raised in surprise.

"She's never responded to anyone like that before. You're the first she's actually liked."
"Oh, really? Well, that's a shame because I can't take her."
"What? Gold, c'mon! She likes you. That has to count for something."

The older man looked at Emma and gave her an unnerving smile before poking her in the shoulder.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Swan. Trying to get out of helping me so you can go back to what it is you're wanting to do with your pirate boyfriend."
"I actually wasn't thinking about him, I was thinking about the cat," she muttered as she crouched down and reached her hand out for "Little Guy" to sniff her out. Unfortunately the cat didn't give her the time of day.

"You have to take her. She's in love with you. There has to be a spell of some sort to cover up the whiter patches," she straightened herself from her position and considered the white and orange tabby calico.
"Spell? You're going to cast a spell on the cat?"

Emma smiled at the man who had distributed her possible saving grace and only shrugged her shoulders.

"We can't keep dyeing her now can we?"
"How am I going to explain to Belle its sudden accumulated weight?"
"I don't know. Something about how all the neighbors have been feeding it?"

Gold considered it for a moment and she had to keep down the exciting feeling that she had won when a sudden frown crossed his features.

"I just can't," he sighed and motioned for the man to pick up the cat. "I need Lucifer's sister."
"I can't help you with that. She's already been adopted out," the man all but squeaked as he lowered his body to proceed to collect the cat.
"You know that's what you keep saying but I'm pretty sure you can help."
"Gold," Emma warned, trying not to smile fondly at the cat who kept batting at the man's hands with its paws to keep him away.
"Emma, don't," he hissed before looking down at the man who was trying his best to pick the cat up. "You're going to tell me where the cat is."
"I can't do that. It's confidential information."
"Confidential?" Emma laughed as she remembered the wall in the lounge area covered in framed photographs of adopted out pets with the new families. Crap.

As if thinking along the same lines that had formed in Emma's mind, the man looked alarmed for a split second before he was able to mask his features but it was a split second too much.

"What do you know?"
"Me? I know.." the man seemed to be looking for something to say before his eyes lighted on the cat still weaving its ways through his legs and then up to Emma's face. "That this woman wants to adopt this cat."
"I do? Wait, what?"
"You have that look in your eye. I've seen it in many people's faces before really. You look like you want a little something to keep around the house and besides, Henry is it? He would probably like something to take care of."
"Um, if that happened I was hoping for more of a puppy," Emma started before her wheels started turning.

She could adopt that cat actually and maybe after a little while, Gold would fall in love with it and she wouldn't have to spend a whole day playing the angel on his shoulder and trying to keep him from making some grave mistake; like stealing someone's cat. Besides, the cat was in love. As irritated as she was she couldn't just leave it behind.

"But heck, this cat is the size of one so yep let's take it home."
"Miss Swan?"
"Don't Miss Swan me, Gold. Just put the cat in the kennel while uh, what is your name?"
"Jack."
"While Jack and I go take care of papers. And stay out of trouble."

Jack gave her a relieved smile while Gold surprisingly did as she asked. The cat didn't take its eyes off of him and she gave a half smile, hoping that somewhere along the way, Gold would love the cat right back.

"Let me get you straight, mate. You're upset with me because I brought Emma roses?"
"Orange roses, Hook. Not just roses. Orange roses."
"Because that clears it up even better. Bloody hell, mate, are you mad?"
"Yes, I'm mad! Mad that you would think I wouldn't catch on and for the second time stop calling me 'mate'," David spewed, trying his hardest to maintain his grip on the back of his chair to keep from toppling over.
"Hey Gramps, why don't we sit you down? You're looking kinda…green."

David's eyes flashed back open and he opened his mouth to tell Henry that he was fine when his knees buckled from underneath him and his grip on the back of the chair lessened considerably until he was nothing more than a puddle on the floor.

"Well, that was the slowest fall I've seen in a long time…mate."
"Stop calling me that! I am not your mate," David glared at the pirate who he noted was not at all clad in black leather. Instead he was wearing stonewashed blue jeans and a black long sleeved shirt. It looked weird.
"Well, you were my mate last night," was all Killian said as he bent down and grabbed a hold of one of David's arms while Henry excused himself from his seat to grab the other.

Grace watched with an amused expression as they hauled David up and seemed to figure that the chair wasn't as good as the couch and took him that direction.

"I don't feel good."

Killian laughed at that as they lowered his limp body onto the cushions and glanced over at Grace.

"Do you mind getting the prince a bowl? I'm sure after eating breakfast the contents aren't going to stay in his body for very long."

David toppled his upper body so his head was resting on the arm of the couch and reached for a throw pillow, somehow managing to find one and squeezed it to his chest.

"I'm still mad at you," he finally hissed as Grace set a bowl lined with paper towels on the floor within his reach, earning a thankful smile from both Killian and Henry.
"If you're anything like your daughter, I'm sure you are," was all Killian said . "So what's this about orange roses? What do they mean?"
"You really don't know?"
"I'm a bloody pirate. I know the formations of stars and the best way to take a ship down but I don't know anything about bloody flowers. That's your job…Charming."

David opened one eye, staring up at Killian as if to discern whether the man was speaking the truth or not before he let out a long sigh.

"Fine. Henry and Grace, why don't you go clean up the dishes?"
"But we're old enough," Grace insisted, crossing her arms over her chest with a raised brow. "Besides, I already know what they mean."
"Does everyone but myself know what it is orange roses mean?"

Killian glanced at Henry who slowly nodded his head and the pirate just shook his head as he ran his long fingers through his already flyaway hair.

"Well, then let's fill me in, will you?"
"Passion," Grace started when both David and Henry offered nothing more than the sound of crickets.
"Enthusiasm," Henry finally offered.
"Those are both right but the fiery hues of the orange rose indicate the all consuming fire of passion and desire," David finally breathed out, closing his eyes as if talking was too much for his head. "They also indicate unlimited energy."

Killian's mouth formed in a perfect 'o' as the last bit of "unlimited energy" alongwith "consuming fire of passion and desire" combined in his mind and he could see why, from a father's standpoint, David may be up and in arms over orange roses.

"Well, hmmm...huh. Thanks for explaining. Honestly I just got them because they were on sale for five dollars."

David opened his eyes to look up at him and Killian stared back unsure of what to say or do when David's mouth stretched into a smile.

"Seriously? Five dollars?"
"Plus tax."

David chuckled for a few seconds before moaning and closing his eyes.

"So you and I are "mates"?"
"Uh, yes. Last night we had formed quite a bond."
"Huh," David grunted. "I wonder how that looked."
"I can show you!" Henry smiled and Killian raised a brow at him.

He took Grace's hand and started walking toward the stairs. "We're gonna get my camera. I took pictures!"

David moaned again and shook his head while Killian watched Emma's son bound up the stairs with Grace in tow.

"You need to let it all out?"
"No," David groaned. "I just never thought I'd be that drunken grandfather that my grandson would take pictures of to show his friends."

Killian smiled and sat himself down in the chair across from David, leaning his head back against his interlaced fingers. These pictures he just had to see.

There it is!

Sorry it took so long but I hope you liked it. Leave a review if you feel like it. A little bit of encouragement could possibly help me get over this bad bout of writer's block. Thank you!