Once Upon A Time
Dagian pulled the dark tan dress over her head and tied the laces in the back closed.
The design on the dress was so intricate that she couldn't help but admire it for a minute or two in the mirror. She ran her hand down her arm and traced some of the tan embroidery that ran down the sleeves. It was so…different. She'd seen dresses like this before but somehow it felt different from the rough homespun fabrics she was used to wearing.
It was…isolating and suffocating. It was cold and claustrophobic and she could hardly move in this thing. It was so different from the clothes that kept her warm and allowed her more range in her movement.
"Well, well, you're starting to adjust to this rather quickly."
She tensed as soon as she heard his voice and she turned towards him. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, "Who did this dress belong to?"
"Um…I can bring you wherever I want to with just a wave of my hand, is it really hard for you to believe that I can just wave my hand and you get clothes."
"I'm surprised you even bothered."
"Oh your status is up now dearie, now what kind of husband would I be if you didn't get the best of what I can offer?"
It would've sounded…normal in any other text. It would've sounded romantic to some but he didn't bother to hide the malice and mockery in his tone. This was all a joke to him and he wasn't bothering to hide it.
"You don't like my gift," he recognized and walked toward her, "What a shame because it really does wonders to your malnourished figure, "We should really do something about that."
"Please let me go," she whispered and averted her gaze when he was right in front of her.
"Sorry dear, but I can't do that. They know about you now and what kind of a husband would I be if I let…the ones that want to control me attack you again?"
He brushed her hair away from the right side of her face and she couldn't hide the flinch when he grabbed her face and tilted away from him so he could examine her bruise on the side of her cheek that the soldier gave her. She watched him for any expression but he kept his face emotionless. She didn't know if he was angry or he gleeful because someone had actually gotten it done.
"While you are technically still my wife" he tightened his grip and turned her face to look at him, "Don't think that gives you any privileges dearie. There are only two reasons you're here and neither of those reasons are due to any lingering feelings."
She broke out of his grip and glared at him.
"You're here for Bae and you're here because if there's going to be those that make your life miserable…it's not going to be a bunch of nameless soldiers, dearie. It's going to be me."
"How very kind of you," she spat.
"I could've let you die if I'd really wanted to."
"Then why didn't you?"
"The only reason you're still alive right now is because I'm acting in goodwill towards our son. And because as I said earlier; death is too easy for people like us and he needs his mother"
She shuddered at the anger and hate in his voice and realized that she was trapped in one of the corners of the room and he was standing dangerously close.
"Please step away," she whispered.
"Oh you don't have to worry about me taking any kind of advantage on you dearie. You have nothing I would ever want again."
He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, "Cover that bruise up. I don't want Bae to think it was me that gave it to you."
Once Upon A Time In Storybrooke
It was different when they got to town Monday morning. For some reason an unspoken wall formed between the two as soon as they were out in public. It wasn't one out of anger, quite the opposite actually. They still talked rather warmly to each other. Maybe it was because both knew that if they displayed too much affection in public then people would try to go to her to get their rent or loan dates extended. Or maybe it was because they were just that private.
Dawn put her hands in her back pockets and smiled knowingly at her husband. She was sure that people were staring and talking about them and what happened at the cabin that weekend.
"You don't have to walk with me, dear. I know that I'm slowing you down."
"I don't mind," she smiled and walked alongside him, "It's nice company."
"And it's the married thing to do?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I think I'm enjoying this married life now that I'm getting the hang of it," she smirked.
"You mean now that I've shown you some of the more…positive benefits of the married life. You seem to have lost a bit of that wide eyed innocence since you gave your vows."
"IT's always been me in here honey," she said and saw Sidney Glass nearly get hit by a car when he saw them and tried to head over, "I just hid it until I had the right opportunity. Is that a problem?"
"Of course not darling, I have an amazing gift to read people and I saw the potential in you and you were exactly what I needed."
"Someone as much of a deadpan snarker as you are?"
"Exactly," he smiled, "The town is never going to forget us darling."
"The ultimate power couple," she muttered.
"Except we actually can stand to be in the same room together," he said and he frowned when Sidney finally caught up to them, "Oh no."
He held up a camera and took a photo of them, "Interview from the loving couple?"
"Go away Sidney," Dawn said in annoyance. Lights danced in front of her eyes and she had to blink several times in order to see anything.
"How about-"
"No," Mr. Gold said and put his hand on his wife's back in an effort to push her forward.
"Or-," Sidney started, moving in front of them so that he blocked them off
"No," he said again as Dawn grabbed his hand and walked around him, "Make up something. You're quite skilled at that."
"Now, now, darling," Dawn said, "He's going to need a little bit of truth so we can't sue him for it all being false."
"Oh yes, we will won't we. What shall we tell him?" He put his arm around her waist.
"Sidney," Dawn said with faux excitement, "Tell them how we barely got out of bed this weekend."
"I don't think I can…report that."
"He would if he had gotten pictures of it," Gold told her.
"Did we have the curtains drawn?" Dawn asked, "I can't remember."
"I had my mind on other things," he reminded her.
"I just realized something darling," Dawn said, "With Sidney around; we're never going to get to try out the backseat of the car. I never got to try that when I was a teenager."
"I missed that phase too," he nodded, clearly enjoying Sidney squirm.
"I guess we'll just have to stick with the bed."
"I'm an old fashioned man, I'm fine with that."
Dawn smiled and kissed her husband, "Have a good day, Mr. Glass."
She let her husband lead her away and buried her face in his shoulder as soon as they turned the corner to suppress her laughter, "Oh darling, I was rather hoping that you've been faking that leg injury all these years."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because otherwise I'm sure we could've outran him."
Present Day
Dawn smiled and climbed on her hands and knees in search of her heels while she talked on the phone to her therapist, "I'm going to tell him tonight."
"Perhaps we should talk in my office."
"Aw Dr. Hopper," she sat on the chair and put her heels on, "You're the only person I have to talk to most days. What's a simple chat on the phone amongst friends?"
"Except you haven't even told me what this news is. I mean I can imagine I could guess…"
"Well I'm not going to tell you without telling my husband first, doc, what kind of person would I be?"
"Tell me something."
"Yes I'm happy," she interrupted, "Happier than I've been in what feels like a long time."
"Were you unhappy before?"
"I don't know," she admitted, "I was content before but- hold on Archie, I have another call."
She clicked on the button without looking at it and put the phone back up against her ear, "Yes?"
"Mrs. Gold? This is Sheriff Swan."
Dawn immediately felt her happy mood dissipate and she drew in a breath and blew out the candles that were on the table.
When that was done, she sat down. She knew that she'd probably need to, "What has he done?"
Dawn stared ahead with fixed eyes at the sheriff's station doors.
Archie sat in the driver's seat and looked at her, "It's been half an hour…maybe you should go inside."
"Nope," she said angrily while keeping her gaze, "He gets to sit in there a little bit longer."
"You're going to have to go in there and talk to him."
"I'm not paying his bail," she crossed her arms, "He can sit in there for all I care right now."
"Because he nearly beat a man to death?"
She cringed, "Part of it is."
Archie seemed rather disturbed by this.
"I know it sounds horrible and maybe it is. He wouldn't have killed Mr. French. At least I hope he wouldn't have. Another part is because I know what he took. Ever since we got married, I could do anything I wanted with that house. I could decorate it, move furniture around...whatever I wanted and he didn't care. He just asked that I didn't touch that cup. He's never told me why but…I can guess. Sometimes in moments of weakness I wish that he'd love me half as much as he loved the woman that gave him that cup."
"Wishing for love isn't a weakness."
"Yes it is," she said and opened the door, "Most people have to find out the hard way."
"Mrs. Gold."
"Thank you for the ride Dr. Hopper. I apologize for getting you away from whatever you were doing."
"Are you going to need a ride back home?"
"No, I imagine the walk will do me good after I have to talk with him."
Dawn barely looked at the sheriff as she stormed through the doors.
"Whoa," Emma walked from her station, "Mrs. Gold…visiting hours are over."
"Make an exception," she walked up to the bars where her husband sat. He looked at her with tired resigned eyes that still had hints of anger in them. From his expression he'd rather she not be there and he'd been dreading when she actually showed up.
"Mrs. Gold-"
"Thank you, you may go."
"You can't be here."
"I'm not here to post bail, I'm not here to scream at you for arresting him, I'm just here to say something and then I'll go."
Emma must've realized that she wasn't going to change her mind because she threw her arms up and walked towards the back, "I'll be in my office in case you need me."
Her husband raised his head and folded his hands together, "So I suppose I'll have to apologize for dinner."
She glared at him and shook head.
"Don't worry dear; I'll be out of here in no time. Regina's not the only one that has judges in her pocket."
"That's not why I'm here."
"You have questions?"
"None that I really want the answers to right now," she felt her jaw clench, "I'm just here to tell you something."
"The man invaded our house Dawn, you could've been home."
"Don't play me for an idiot," she hissed, "The reason you went insane on him wasn't because of what he could've done to me…or at least it wasn't the main reason. I know what he took. I know she…whoever she was…is important to you and I'm sorry that it was stolen."
He looked down. Whatever he felt towards her, she could see some guilt on his face.
"But what you did was wrong," she continued, "And so I'm here to tell you that I'm not paying your bail and you can find a way to get out of this yourself.
"Dawn-."
"And then when you get home we need to sit down and have ourselves a nice long talk about how things are going to change."
"Things were fine until today," he muttered.
"Not anymore" Dawn muttered, "Darling, I'm pregnant."
He sat up straighter as a look of shock came across his face, "What?"
She put her hand on her stomach that had expanded slightly, "While you sit here, I suggest you start getting your priorities straight. Because this…whatever we have? I don't think it's going to work in about 6 months."
She grabbed her purse and walked out.
