Once Upon A Time: Deal With The Devil, Part Ten
By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki
Mr. Gold came into the police station, finding Emma was sleeping on the couch and Mary-Margret was sitting in her cell, staring at the empty one next to her. She turned and took sharp breath when she realized he was standing there. " Oh. Mr. Gold. "
" Shh, " He put a finger to his lips. " Don't wake Emma. She needs her rest. "
" I know, " Mary-Margret whispered then glanced at her friend. She looked at him again, still looking confused, " Why are you here so early? "
" I took the liberty of having my chef prepare a good breakfast for the both of you, " Mr. Gold said. He glanced over his shoulder, " Frederick? "
Mary-Margret blinked as the giant bald man came into the office with a large insulated bag. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie, black leather gloves and had a long black coat on. He went to the deputy's desk and set the bag down. " Anything else, boss? " He asked quietly.
" No, " Mr. Gold said. " That will be all. You may go. I will call if I need anything else. "
" Yes, boss, " Frederick nodded then left.
Just then, Emma started to stir. She took a deep breath then said sleepily. " Mary-Margret? "
" Yes? " She came to the end of the cell where the couch sat.
" Is someone here? " Emma asked.
Mary-Margret looked down at her, " Uh yes. Mr. Gold is here. "
Emma sighed, " Oh. Good morning, Gold. "
" Good morning Miss Swan, " Mr. Gold said. He tried not to let the events of the night before taint his greeting. He was still feeling a bit of a sting from her unexpected rejection and betrayal. He also sensed a bit of unhappiness in her tone when she greeted him.
" Checking on Mary-Margret? " Emma asked, still not looking at him.
Mr. Gold frowned, " Yes. And I brought breakfast for you ladies. You've been living out of Granny's for much too long and thought you would appreciate a home cooked meal. "
Emma sat up, turning and seeing the bag on the desk. " You... brought us food? "
" I believe that is what I just said, " Mr. Gold walked over to the bag. " You can help yourselves. I wasn't for certain what you'd like so I had Alston fix a few of his better dishes. Nothing too fancy but better than what you've been getting. "
" You didn't have to, " Mary-Margret started.
" I wanted to, " Mr. Gold said.
Mary-Margret looked at Emma, " Uh then thank you. "
" My pleasure, ladies, " Mr. Gold glanced at Emma. " Perhaps after you eat, we can try to figure out what to do next. "
" Yeah, " Emma stood up.
Mr. Gold snapped his fingers, " Oh. I almost forgot. Have you told Miss Blanchard about what you found yesterday? "
Emma and Mary-Margret both paled. They looked at each other and Mary-Margret got a confused look on her face, " No. She hasn't. She was sleeping when I woke up so she hasn't told me anything yet. "
" Yeah, " Emma nodded. She gave him a brief hateful glare but soon stopped, probably afraid Mary-Margret would see it.
Mr. Gold smiled, " Well, are you going to tell her? "
" Uh, " Emma looked at Mary-Margret. She sounded a little uneasy as she spoke. " I checked the hole where the heart was buried again and found another clue. "
Mary-Margret blinked, " Another clue? What was it? "
Emma took a breath, " Some hairs. I hope they match the killer and get you off. "
Mary-Margret put on a feigned smile, " Oh wow. Me too. "
Mr. Gold tried not to smirk at how artificial the conversation sounded. To tell a lie once was one thing but to repeat it perfectly took great ability and he wanted to see how skillful Emma could be. " I was quite hopeful last night when she told me. She took it to the lab right away though so I didn't get to see it. "
Mary-Margret suddenly looked panicked, " But what if Regina took some of MY hair and placed it in there when she buried the heart? "
Emma blinked, " Oh no. I didn't think about that. "
Mary-Margret's eyes became wet with tears, " Emma... you know my jewelry box was right next to my hairbrush on the vanity. "
Emma blinked and looked at Mr. Gold, " Oh no. What if it does match her? "
Mr. Gold frowned, " I wish you had thought of that before taking it to the lab so hastily. "
" But the hairs were long, " Emma began, being cut off by the ringing of her cell phone. She pulled it out of her jacket from where it lay over the back of the couch. She looked at it, " It's dispatch. Someone just called in an anonymous tip about the case. "
" Care to tell me what? " Mr. Gold asked.
Emma gave him a sideways look, " I haven't got time to explain. I'll tell you if it pans out. "
Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow, " Then I think you had better go look into it. "
Emma grabbed her jacket and pulled it on, " Are you going to stay? "
Mr. Gold shook his head, " Not for much longer. I have some business appointments that must be tended to. "
" Will you be okay alone? " Emma looked at Mary-Margret.
Mary-Margret nodded, " I think so. "
" Okay. Please eat something and I'll be back as soon as I can, " Emma said then strode out of the office without so much of a glance back at Mr. Gold.
He watched as she left before turning to Mary-Margret, " Care for anything my dear? "
Mary-Margret sat down on the edge of the cot, " Not now. "
" Oh? " Mr. Gold walked over. " You looked like you wanted to eat a few moments ago. "
" That was before I found out about the hairs, " Mary-Margret looked terribly worried over it. She looked at Mr. Gold, " What if they're mine? Then what will we do? "
Mr. Gold walked over to the bars, " We'll worry about that when it comes up. I have a feeling they will not be relevant at all. "
" How do you even know that? " Mary-Margret furrowed her brow.
" They could have been left there by any number of things, " Mr. Gold said. " Perhaps some animal dug in the hole after the heart was found. After all, woodland creatures have no respect for crime scene tape, do they? "
Mary-Margret blinked then sighed, " I guess you have a point. But what if... "
Mr. Gold put his left hand up to stop her, " Let's not 'what-if'. It will only serve to worry you more. "
Mary-Margret looked at the floor, " I do hope it's animal hair like you say. "
" That's what it will probably turn out to be, " Mr. Gold smiled gently. " Now, do you care for anything? It's all quite good. "
Mary-Margret looked at the bag on the desk, her stomach growling audibly. She blushed slightly then nodded. " Maybe a little something won't hurt. "
Emma came into the police station, angry at Regina and August. Only three people knew about the shovel shard and Mary-Margret was not able to tell anyone anything. She knew it had to be August who had betrayed her. She felt foolish for trusting him so readily and hoped she hadn't lost her only chance to clear her friend.
She came into the office, stopping when she saw Mary-Margret. She heaved a sigh and went to the cell. " So? " Mary-Margret asked. " Did we get her? Did the shovel piece match? "
Emma shook her head, " The shovel was gone. "
" No, " Mary-Margret whispered. " No. No. No. "
" I'm so sorry, " Emma said. " She found out and got rid of it. "
" How did she find out? " Mary-Margret asked. Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes, " Who else knew? "
" That's not important, " Emma sighed.
" Yes it is. WHO, Emma! " Mary-Margret said sharply.
Emma shut her eyes, " Booth. He was with me when I found the shard. "
" And you couldn't tell me? " Mary-Margret looked shocked. " Of all the people in the world, you couldn't tell me? "
" I didn't think it mattered, " Emma replied.
" And the hair? " Mary-Margret started.
" There was no hair, " Emma cut her off. " It was a lie to throw Mr. Gold off. I didn't want him knowing about the shard until I could match it. "
" But I thought you trusted him, " Mary-Margret became confused.
Emma frowned, " I do... but... I... "
" You didn't want him to know you were with Booth, did you? " Mary-Margret finished her sentence for her.
Emma nodded, " Yeah. He's suspicious of him. I just couldn't tell him I brought Booth in on this too. "
" Did you have to lie to me though? " Mary-Margret asked. Her expression let Emma know she was hurt.
" There was no other way, " Emma shook her head. " I still couldn't mention the shard until I was sure. "
Mary-Margret leaned against the bars, looking at the floor. She was silent for a long moment before looking at Emma again. " So now what? The trial starts tomorrow and we have nothing. "
" We do have something, " Emma said.
" What's that? " Mary-Margret furrowed her brow.
Emma looked out the window, " The rest of today. "
Mary-Margret cocked her head to the side as Emma turned to leave. " Where are you going now? "
" To see someone, " Emma looked over her shoulder at Mary-Margret. " I'll be back. "
" I'll be here, " Mary-Margret sighed.
Emma walked out of the office and had just got to the lobby of the police station when Mr. Gold came in. He stopped and gave a her a stony look, " May I have a word with you, my dear? "
" About what? " Emma stopped in her tracks.
Mr. Gold frowned, " That anonymous tip this morning. Did it pan out? "
" No, " Emma sighed.
" Oh that's awful, " Mr. Gold clucked his tongue. He then gave her a slightly scornful look. He squared his shoulders, " I call the lab this morning to see if they had made any headway on that hair sample you told me about. "
Emma went cold. She never thought he would do such a thing. She tried to act natural as she said, " Oh? Did they have it? "
" You know as well as I do that there isn't one, " Mr. Gold said. " One of... my sources said that you received a search warrant for Regina's house this morning. Do you care to tell me what for? "
" I have feeling you already know, " Emma narrowed her eyes.
Mr. Gold grimaced then nodded, " I believe it had something to do with a shovel shard you found. Am I correct? "
Emma growled, " Gold. "
" I will take that as a 'yes', " He said. " And when were you going to tell me you found this shovel piece? Did you find it at the crime scene? "
Emma cocked her head to the side, " Yes. When I went to look again. "
" And I assume that you thought you were going to find the rest in Regina's garage? " Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow.
" The anonymous tipster said they saw Regina digging there the night of the murder, " Emma said.
" And was it there? " Mr. Gold prodded.
Emma frowned, " Yes but not this morning. "
" Not this morning? " Mr. Gold frowned deeply. " How did you know it WAS there before then? "
Emma felt ashamed from the way he looked at her. It made her feel even more like she had done something wrong. She knew sneaking into Regina's garage wasn't procedure but she had to see if the shovel was there. " I had Henry help me get into the garage last night so I could look first. "
" Miss Swan, " Mr. Gold sounded very displeased with her. " If anyone should have known better, it's you. That could be seen as an illegal search and the evidence would not have been allowed in court. "
" It doesn't matter now, " Emma said quietly. " The shovel is gone. Someone tipped Regina off about it. "
Mr. Gold frowned, " Did they now? "
" I think so, " Emma said. " I just haven't figured out who. "
" Who else knew about it? " Mr. Gold asked.
" Mary-Margret did, " Emma said. " I told her about it last night before I went over there. "
Mr. Gold quirked his mouth, " Anyone else? "
Emma hesitated then shook her head 'no'. She wasn't going to tell him August knew anything or was even involved for that matter. " I tried to keep it between her and I until I knew something for sure. "
" Do you recall what I said about emotional entanglements, my dear? " Mr. Gold asked quietly.
Emma tried to recall it, " I think so. Something about how they can lead us down very dangerous paths? "
" Yes, " Mr. Gold smirked. " They can also blind you to the truth. Perhaps you need to set them aside and see things as they really are. "
" What is that supposed to mean? You keep saying that and Regina's said it to me as well. Would you just please tell me what you're trying to tell me and get it over with? " Emma was getting tired of the riddles.
" Someone close to you is lying but you can't see it because of your love for Henry and your want for revenge on Regina, " Mr. Gold explained. " You need to try to get past all that and you will be able to see who is your Judas. "
Emma frowned, " How do I know it isn't you? "
Mr. Gold looked shocked, " Do you think so little of me, Miss Swan? After everything we've been through together these past weeks? "
" How do I know this all hasn't been some grand ruse for you to gain my trust? " Emma asked sharply. " So you could take advantage of me and use me like you use everyone else. "
Mr. Gold scoffed, " Use you? Who put such an idea in your head? I don't use people, Miss Swan. I may take advantage of circumstances and situations but I would never think of using you for anything. "
Emma frowned, " People get involved with circumstances and situation, Gold. And they get hurt... "
" Simply collateral damage, " Mr. Gold said. " If I could help it then I would do everything in my power to avoid it. "
Emma growled, " Have I told you lately that you're simply immoral? How can you stand here and say things like that? "
" It's simple, " Mr. Gold said. " If you want to live an uncomplicated life, you must remain subjective and not let emotions influence your judgment. Regardless of your feelings, right and wrong are how you see them. "
" Is that why are you always playing around in the gray areas? " Emma arched an eyebrow.
Mr. Gold chuckled, " Gray areas. That is one way to look at it. No, Miss Swan. I am invested in the greater good. I believe we have talked about this before. "
" Yeah, " Emma said. " We have. I also told you I was interested in doing what is right. "
Mr. Gold quirked his mouth, " So is that why you omitted the information about the gypsies from your report about the robberies? "
" I did that because those people didn't need to suffer for the mistakes of one person, " Emma took a step towards him.
He chuckled again, " You were catering to the greater good when you did that. Or were you not aware? "
" I did what I felt was right, " Emma started.
" Then how can you stand here and all but tell me feelings and emotion do not influence your decisions? " Mr. Gold cut her off.
She frowned, unable to answer him. Perhaps she was letting those things cloud her vision but she couldn't think of a way to set them aside so she could see clearly. She thought about how they had been together and realized that he couldn't have planned every little thing that had occurred. She started to feel remorseful she had accused him of orchestrating his own kidnapping and the robberies.
" Have you got anything to say, my dear? " Mr. Gold asked after she had been silent for a long moment.
Emma looked at the floor, " Maybe I'm being a little unfair. "
" About? " Mr. Gold asked.
" Everything we've been through together these last few weeks, " Emma looked at him. " I know you're capable of a lot but I don't think you could have... "
" Planned my own kidnapping and near-death at the hands of that madman? " Mr. Gold completed her sentence yet again. It was uncanny how he could do it and it always left her feeling strange. " Or those robberies? "
Emma sighed, " Yeah. "
Mr. Gold smiled, " I am powerful but don't give me too much credit, my dear. I'm not a magician. "
Emma sighed, " No. I guess not. "
" Now, " Mr. Gold looked past her, " How is Miss Blanchard? "
Emma glanced over her shoulder, " I don't think she wants to see anyone at the moment. I just told her about what happened. "
Mr. Gold nodded, " I see. Then I shall retire back to my shop to brainstorm a bit. "
" You'll need to do more than a bit, " Emma sighed. " We're on a countdown now. "
Mr. Gold frowned, " Indeed we are. I must be going then. "
Emma watched as he turned to walk away but she put her hand out, touching his shoulder lightly, " I... uh. "
Mr. Gold turned to look at her, " Yes, my dear. "
Emma took a deep breath, " I'm sorry about last night. I had a lot of things going on in my head and I... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Did I? "
Mr. Gold shrugged, his look becoming tender like it always did when he was being completely honest, " I did feel a bit of rejection and I was confused but I knew there had to be a reason. Now I know why you were behaving that way, I think I can forgive you. "
Emma felt some relief at his words. She had been fearful that she had destroyed everything but it seemed he was more tolerant than she gave him credit for. She caught her breath as their eyes locked, her heart starting to pound in her chest. " Gold... "
" Shh, " He whispered as he leaned in and took her lips in a gentle kiss. She returned it, her hand tightening on his shoulder. She shivered when he brought his left hand up, stroking her cheek as he finished the kiss. " I really have to go now. "
" I do too, " Emma breathed. " I have something I need to do. "