Once Upon A Time: Through The Devil's Eyes, Part Four
By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki
(Thanks to Pamela Anneliese for helping me figure something about Emma. I mention the Wyvern's Tear in this chapter. The Wyvern's Tear is an artifact Rumplestiltskin brought to Storybrooke from Fairy Tale Land. It first appears in 'Dancing With The Devil' and isn't in the show. )
Mr. Gold stood at the jewelry case, staring down at the Wyvern's Tear. He pondered it, wondering if the magical talisman had retained it's power after crossing over. He hadn't bothered to use it since he pretty much knew who everyone had been in the other world but now he was thinking about using it. He thought maybe it could help him identify the stranger but he had to try it out on someone else first.
He had already placed a call to that person and was expecting her to arrive at any moment. She really had no choice but to answer his call, not after he had been so gracious to give her a second chance. He smiled when he heard the door open, the bell ringing to announce a visitor.
" You called? " Ruby asked breathlessly like she had been running though he knew she drove. She wore a black leather coat that barely covered her thighs, a red dress just a smidgen longer than the coat and black tights. Her impossibly high heels accentuated her shapely legs.
" You rushed over here? " Mr. Gold smirked at her. She was indeed a sight to make a man's blood to run hot. However, he was immune to her charms because she just a little too much of a loose woman for his tastes. " I'm touched. "
Ruby furrowed her brow, " I had plans. "
" I can see that, " Mr. Gold looked her over. She always had plans on Friday nights. " What kind of plans? "
" One or two drinks with the girls, " Ruby frowned. " What do you need? You didn't say on the phone. "
Mr. Gold opened the jewelry case and pulled out the Wyvern's Tear. " I just want you to stand there. "
" That's a huge rock, " Ruby blinked. " Is it... "
" It's crystal, " Mr. Gold knew what she was going to ask. Actually, it was neither diamond nor crystal. It was a dried tear of a dragon. When it had been shed, it would have been enough liquid to fill a five gallon bucket.
" It's still huge, " Ruby said.
" One hundred carats, my dear, " Mr. Gold said as he lifted the mystical stone to his left eye and looked at her through it. He frowned, finding the magic wasn't working. All he saw was a distorted image of Ruby.
" What are you doing? " Ruby looked confused. He looked at her again, getting the same result.
" Nothing really. I just wanted to check the clarity, " Mr. Gold put the talisman back in the case. For the time being, it was useless. He would hold on to it though for when the Dark Curse was broken... whenever that happened.
Ruby nodded though she still looked perplexed by what had just happened. " Alright. "
Mr. Gold watched as she turned towards the door then said, " I didn't dismiss you. "
" Oh, " She turned back to him. " Is there anything else? "
" Do you have to ask? " Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow.
Ruby sighed, " I haven't seen him at all since you left me this afternoon. "
" And he still hasn't been by the inn? " Mr. Gold asked.
" Not that I know of, " Ruby shook her head. " I could ask the maid when I get up in the morning. "
" You had better remember to, " Mr. Gold frowned. " I will be by after the breakfast rush for the information. "
" Yes sir, " Ruby nodded and turned to the door. She let out a startled gasp when it opened, Emma letting out a shocked gasp of her own when she almost ran into Ruby. " Emma. Hi. "
Emma was wearing her blue jacket, a black sweater, slim-fitting blue jeans and her new black boots. They were the ones Mr. Gold had bought her to replace the ones damaged by one of traps meant for the thief. They were a little pointier in the toes than Emma liked, something she let him know right away. That obviously didn't bother her too much since she was wearing them.
She looked surprised to see Ruby in the shop, " Hey Ruby. What are you doing here? "
" She came to borrow a piece of jewelry for tonight, " Mr. Gold cut in. " She said her outfit needed 'something' extra. "
" You lend that stuff out? " Emma sounded skeptical. It was about then that Mr. Gold noticed Emma was carrying the jacket he had let her borrow. He had expected it back the very next day after he had lent it to her but circumstances hadn't allowed for that.
" I do once in a while, " Mr. Gold looked at Ruby. He hoped she would have the grace to hold her tongue until he was done. " But alas, she didn't find anything she liked so she was on her way out. "
" Yeah, " Ruby sounded a bit nervous. " Everything is just too expensive and I'm afraid I might lose it. "
" Oh, " Emma nodded. She looked Ruby over, " Going out? "
" Yeah, " Ruby nodded. She put her hand up, " Just for a couple of drinks. Sean's home with the baby so Ashley and a couple of the other girls wanted to go out tonight and they called me. "
Emma arched an eyebrow, " Ashley? I hope she sticks to Shirley Temples. You remember what happened the last time you got her drunk. She's not old enough to be drinking anyway. "
Ruby smiled sheepishly, " Oh yeah. How could I forget that? "
Emma rolled her eyes, " Ruby. She's your friend. You know how old she is. "
" I won't buy her any drinks, " Ruby sighed. Mr. Gold had heard that Ruby had given Ashley alcohol on a couple of occasions. The last time, she had been so badly hungover, Sean had to take the day off from work to care for the mother AND the child. " Sean's still kind of mad at me for the last time. "
" I bet, " Emma said. " Sean can't afford to miss much work and Ashley's the only other person Alexandra has. "
" I know, " Ruby sighed. " We just were having fun and it got out of hand. "
" Well don't let it this time, " Emma said sharply. " I would hate to arrest you for something so stupid. "
" I won't. I got to go now, " Ruby motioned to the door. " We're meeting up soon and I don't want to be late. "
Emma moved aside, " Remember what I said. "
" I will, " Ruby said. " Bye. "
Emma closed the door behind Ruby then turned to face Mr. Gold. She looked down at the jacket she carried and smiled sheepishly. " I was on my way home and I thought you'd like to have this back. "
" Yes, my dear. Thank you, " Mr. Gold walked out from behind the display case as she walked towards him. They met in the middle of the shop and he took it from her. Their hands brushed against each other as she handed it to him. Emma took a sharp breath at the contact and pulled her hand back quickly.
" Did I shock you? " He asked with a wry grin. He knew he hadn't. He was well aware of what his touch did to her.
He had seen it on more than one occasion. It was almost as amusing as sneaking up on her at the police station. However, it wasn't nearly as pleasing as when he kissed her. It may have been just on the cheek but her reactions were enough to let him know everything he needed to know.
" No, " Emma shook her head. She looked at him to say something else but fell silent when their eyes locked.
He gave her a gentle smile, " I was beginning to think I would never get this back. "
" Better late than never, " Emma chuckled nervously. " I just got really busy after you lent it to me. I didn't get it cleaned or anything. I hope that's okay. "
Mr. Gold sighed, " It's quite alright. I'll have it taken care of. "
" Oh, okay, " Emma nodded.
She seemed as anxious as she always was around him. He could see she had goosebumps and kept trying not to look at him for too long. Mr. Gold recalled how she seemed sad at Granny's when he said he had to go.
" You looked like you had something to say to me at Granny's earlier. What was it? " He asked.
Emma motioned to the jacket, " I was going to tell you I had the jacket in my car. "
Mr. Gold knew there was more to it than that. It was almost as if she were sad she because she wasn't going to spend time with him. " Is that all? " He asked.
" I was also going to ask how many petitions you were going to pass out, " Emma stammered slightly as if she had come up with it on the spot.
" I see, " Mr. Gold nodded. " I left at least three at each business. That should be enough to cover the whole town. "
" Yeah, " Emma nodded. " I guess so. "
The clock on the wall chimed eight o'clock. Mr. Gold glanced at it then back at Emma, " Have you had anything to eat, my dear? "
" Not really. I grabbed bear claw on my way out of the station, " Emma sighed.
" I mean real food, " Mr. Gold said sternly. " You said you would take better care of yourself. "
" I know, I know, " Emma shook her head. " It gets hard when I'm busy. "
Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow, " What of Miss Blanchard? Doesn't she make sure to have something ready for you when you get home? "
Emma nodded, " She usually does but I haven't been home yet. "
" I see, " Mr. Gold said. He furrowed his brow, " How is Miss Blanchard by the way? "
" Fine, " Emma looked surprised he asked about her at all. " Why do you ask? "
" I've heard the whispers around town, " Mr. Gold said quietly. " Is it true that Mr. Nolan and Miss Blanchard were having an affair? "
Emma scoffed, " You should know the answer to that. You're the one with moles everywhere. "
Mr. Gold quirked his mouth, " Sometimes sources can be wrong. However, rumors can have at least one root in the truth. "
Emma frowned, " I don't think I should be talking about it. She's my friend and... "
" What of Kathryn then? " Mr. Gold cut her off. " I saw her drive by my shop a little while ago and it looked like she was heading out of town. "
Emma blinked, " I heard she was accepted to law school in Boston. I guess she decided to go for it and make a fresh start. "
" I see, " Mr. Gold nodded his head slowly. He was fairly certain Kathryn wasn't going to get too far. No one affected by the curse could leave Storybrooke. " I suppose that is best. "
Emma frowned, looking like she knew more than she wanted to admit to. She sighed, " I guess so. "
Mr. Gold quirked his mouth, " Why don't you go to Miss Blanchard? I'm sure she needs your company more than I do tonight. "
" She probably does, " Emma looked worried for her friend.
" We'll make it up later, " Mr. Gold said.
Emma arched an eyebrow, " You're being flexible? "
He gave her a wry grin, " Oh, I can be very flexible in certain... situations. "
" Oh, " Emma blushed furiously. Mr. Gold smirked at her reaction, wondering just exactly where Emma's mind had went when he said 'situations'.
He moved closer to her, " I am not a completely unreasonable man, my dear, " He said gently as he looked into her eyes. " I just choose who I negotiate with. "
Emma caught her breath as their eyes locked. She was stunned in his gaze as he moved within a breaths distance of her. He lifted his left hand up and brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek lightly. He smirked when she didn't pull away.
Even if she hadn't accepted him consciously, some part of her subconscious had. He smiled, noticing her breathing had changed and he could see her pulse in her throat. She had a look in her eyes, as if she were expecting him to do something more than touch her face. He wanted to do so much more with her but he was apprehensive.
He didn't want to use her or damage her trust in him. They would need to work together to defeat Regina but she needed to have complete trust in him to do so. He sighed, leaning into kiss her cheek. While he was close to her, he caught her scent.
He liked the way she smelled like warm cinnamon and gladiolus mixed with the faintest of hint of laundry detergent. He thought it fit her perfectly considering gladiolus meant strength and passion in the language of flowers. If there were two things Emma had, it was strength and passion. He had known her long enough to see that.
He took a step back, " I think you had better go home and get some rest, Miss Swan. "
Emma blinked in confusion then sighed, " Alright. "
Mr. Gold watched as she turned and walked towards the door. She hesitated as she opened it, giving him a glance over her shoulder before leaving the shop. He waited a few moments before going to the door himself and locking it for the night...
Rumplestiltskin rested against a tree, trying to catch his breath. It had taken quite a while for his leg to heal from being broken and it hadn't healed right. He now had a limp and needed a staff to even walk properly. That hadn't kept him off the battlefield though, getting sent back once he was healed.
He could still set traps as once before but it was harder. Not only because of his physical limitations but the ogres were getting more aggressive in their attacks. He had almost been killed on more than one occasion and he knew his death was imminent if he stayed in the battle. He couldn't do that to his wife and son though... he wanted to be there for them.
So, when there was a chance, he fled. The journey had been hard and took him a long time but now he was close to the village. He imagined how happy his wife would be to see him and how happy he would be to finally lay eyes on his son. It was what had kept him going and now he was almost home.
He pushed away from the tree, walking until her could see the village. People were out, doing their daily chores and everything seemed peaceful enough in spite of the war. In fact, everything seemed calm and normal, two things he had missed while he was away. It was things he had missed greatly in the chaos of the battlefront.
As he came closer to village, people started to notice him. He was surprised to see them frowning as he approached. " It's Rumplestiltskin, " He heard them murmur and say things he couldn't quite hear. He thought it strange when no one made eye contact with him as he passed by.
In fact, people were moving away from him as they gave him disapproving looks. As he passed two men, he heard one say to the other, " What did you expect? He IS the town coward after all. They should have just left him out of the war altogether. "
Rumplestiltskin turned to look at the men but they suddenly became more interested in what they had been doing. He looked away from them, deciding to just go home. He would deal with them another time. He just wanted to see his wife and son.
As he got closer to his home, he felt his heart start to beat faster. It had been so long since he had seen his wife and he couldn't wait to lay eyes on her again. Muriel was a gorgeous woman with thick dark wavy hair and dark eyes. She was slightly shorter than him and was spirited.
As he came closer to the house, he could hear a baby crying. He moved quickly to the door, opening it to find Baelfire seemed to be alone.
" Muriel? " He called out into the small house. There was no sign of his wife anywhere. The fireplace had the last burning embers of a fire so she couldn't have been gone too terribly long.
He went to the crib and picked up Baelfire, holding the infant close. " Shhhh, " He shushed him gently as he cuddled the four month old to his chest. He couldn't help but notice that the boy was the spitting image of his mother with dark curly hair and dark eyes like hers.
" Shhhh, papa's here, " He murmured. After a few moments, the child settled down. " That's a good boy, " Rumplestiltskin whispered.
" Rumplestiltskin, " A voice at the front door startled him. He turned to find an old crone at the door. She was bent over with age and her face lined with wrinkles, her gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. She and her sister were said to be a witches and no one would talk to them, he knew that much.
" Yes? " He said as he walked over to the door, Baelfire nestled in the crook of his arm. " What is it? "
" It's your wife, " The crone said. She motioned with her gnarled up hand for him to follow her. " Come with me. "
Rumplestiltskin looked down at Baelfire. He felt apprehensive about going with the outcast but she was the only person that would speak to him it seemed. He looked down at Baelfire before he looked at the woman, " Alright. "
" Bring the child, " The elder said. " We'll leave him with my sister. You should see this without him. "
" Should see what? What kind of news do you bring me of my wife? " Rumplestiltskin furrowed his brow. By the look on the woman's withered face, he knew it couldn't have been good.
" You will find out soon enough, " The crone said.
Rumplestiltskin's joy turned into a cold dread that trickled like ice through his veins. He didn't understand why the woman wasn't being forthcoming with any information. He followed her to her sister's house, where he reluctantly left Baelfire. She then led him into the woods not far from the village, the ones opposite from the direction he had come from.
" Prepare yourself, " The crone said as they neared a large tree. " She was discovered this morning. "
" Discovered? What are you talking about? " Rumplestiltskin asked as they came around the side of the tree.
" She slipped away in the wee hours of the morning. She couldn't take the ridicule anymore, " The crone said.
" The ridicule? " Rumplestiltskin asked. " What do you mean? "
" Since the news came that you deserted the battlefield and all those soldiers died, " The crone said. She looked at Rumplestiltskin's shocked expression and blinked, " You don't know? "
" No, " Rumplestiltskin shook his head. " What do you speak of? "
The crone sighed, " The traps you set failed and there was no stopping the ogres. "
" I never meant for that to happen, " Rumplestiltskin stammered as the weight of the news sank down on him. " We were doing well when I left. "
" Apparently not, " The crone said gravely. " No one survived except for you. "
" And my wife had to suffer because of what I did? " Rumplestiltskin whispered.
The crone nodded and pointed, " But she ended her suffering. I fear yours is only beginning. "
Rumplestiltskin looked in the direction the crone was pointing in. His heart stopped in his chest as he saw Muriel hanging from a tree not too far away...