Once Upon A Time: Through The Devil's Eyes, Part Six
By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki
It was rather early when Mr. Gold walked into Granny's, making eye contact with Granny as he walked in. She looked puzzled as he past the counter, " Mr. Gold? What is it? " She asked.
" Come with me, " He said without stopping. He waited for her in the back room, quirking his mouth when she walked in not too far behind him. " Where's Ruby? "
" She quit last night, " Granny said. " Why? "
Mr. Gold blinked, " She what? "
" We had a big fight last night, " Granny said firmly. " She was talking to that stranger and not working. "
" The stranger, " Mr. Gold said. " So he's back? "
" Yes, " Granny nodded.
Mr. Gold frowned, " Do you know where she's at right now? "
" No. She said she's leaving town, " Granny said. " I think she really means it this time. "
Mr. Gold tried to keep his anger from rising, " Do you know where she was thinking about going? "
Granny shrugged, " She was talking nonsense about going to Nepal and about lemurs when I peeled her away from the stranger. "
" That's far, " Mr. Gold said. He knew she wouldn't even make it to the edge of town.
" That's ridiculous, " Granny scoffed. She took a sharp breath, " She left you something. I don't know what it is but I found it this morning under the counter. I think she was planning on giving it to you this morning. "
Mr. Gold watched as Granny pulled a small box from her apron and took it when she offered it to him. " Do you know what it is? "
" Not the faintest clue, " Granny said.
" What can you tell me about this stranger? " Mr. Gold asked.
Granny blinked, " Not much. He's hardly ever at the inn but he's paid up for at least a month. Last night was the first time I've seen him in a while though. "
Mr. Gold frowned, " Hmm. "
" I really can't tell you any more than that, " Granny shrugged. " It's like he's a ghost. "
Mr. Gold thought for a long moment. It was quite possible that this Booth person hadn't even been in town because he hadn't been seen for so long. He was back but there was no telling how long he would be or what his plans were. What those plans could have entailed was what bothered Mr. Gold the most for he knew nothing good could come from someone who lurked in the shadows.
" Have you heard anything else interesting? " Mr. Gold arched his eyebrow.
" Not really, " Granny shrugged then snapped her fingers. " Did you hear the news? "
" What news? " Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow.
" About what happened last night at the Miner's Day festival, " Granny started.
" Other than the transformer blowing out? " Mr. Gold asked.
" No. The other thing that happened, " Granny said. She frowned, " Well, a couple of things happened actually. One good and one bad. "
" What was the good thing? " Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow.
" The nuns sold all their candles, " Granny smiled but it faded when Mr. Gold gave her a displeased look. " I thought you'd be happy. "
" I'm not, " Mr. Gold replied. The last he had heard, the nuns didn't have the money to pay their rent. With all the candles sold, they were no longer in that predicament. That also meant he couldn't evict them, something he was looking forward to doing.
" Oh, " Granny said though she looked like she still couldn't comprehend why he hated the nuns.
" And what was the bad thing that happened? " Mr. Gold asked before Granny could question him at length about the nuns. It was long and complicated and he didn't like to talk about it.
" Have you heard about Kathryn Nolan? " Granny looked toward the door like she expected someone to come through it.
" I heard she's missing, yes. What about it? " Mr. Gold nodded.
Granny looked at the door again, " Emma took David away from the festival last night in the police cruiser. "
" Did she handcuff him? " Mr. Gold was curious.
" Uh, no. She just put him in the car, " Granny said. She leaned closer, " The back of the car. "
Mr. Gold quirked his mouth. He recalled how he felt when Emma had handcuffed him. He had found her little show of power amusing and slightly arousing. If they did happen to become lovers as Regina accused of them of being, things would certainly be fascinating.
Emma had no qualms with standing up to him or standing her ground when she felt she was right. If they had fights, they would most certainly be volatile. He also knew that explosive fights could lead to some other very... interesting things. He fought back the thoughts, knowing full well that they were nowhere close to any of that.
" She was only taking him for questioning, " He told Granny.
" Oh, " Granny said. " Everyone in town thinks he got arrested. "
" There's no reason for him to be arrested, " Mr. Gold said. " He hasn't got the guts to do anything to anyone. "
" I suppose you're right, " Granny said. " I heard he didn't even have the guts to tell Kathryn the truth. "
" Really? " Mr. Gold cocked his head to the side. " Where did you hear that? "
" You know, gossip around the cafe and what I've heard, " Granny stammered out.
Mr. Gold tried not to smirk. He couldn't believe that Prince Charming had become such a coward in this world. He recalled how the prince had threatened to cut his hand off for barely grazing Snow's pregnant belly in the dungeon. " I see. "
Granny looked at the door again then at Mr. Gold, " I really need to go. It's almost time for the early church rush. "
" I understand, " Mr. Gold nodded. " I'll let you know if I need anything else. "
" Right, " Granny nodded and headed out the door. A moment later, she was back. " Mr. Gold... Emma's here. "
" I would like to see her but don't tell her I'm here, " Mr. Gold said. " I'll go out the back and come back through the front. Make sure she doesn't leave. "
" She's at a table so she's probably going to be here for a while, " Granny nodded and left again.
Mr. Gold walked out the back door and up the alley, stopping as soon as he could see in a window. Emma was at a table in the far back corner of the cafe, facing forward so she could see everyone who came in. Granny was talking to her and pretty much keeping her attention. He waited for a few ticks to be sure Emma's full attention was on Granny and went to the path that led to the door.
He went into the cafe, some people looking up for a brief moment before returning to their food. He moved to the rear of the cafe, Granny glancing over her shoulder as he approached. " Hi, " She smiled. " Why are you here, Mr. Gold? "
" I thought I'd drop in for a bite. My chef has Sundays off, " Mr. Gold smiled and looked at Emma. " Hello, my dear. "
" Hello, " Emma smiled a little bit. She had on her brown leather jacket, a gray sweater, black jeans and knee high brown boots.
Mr. Gold couldn't help but notice she looked tired. " Did you have a busy night? " He asked sincerely.
" Between the power outage and... police business, yes. Did you go to the Miner's Day festival last night? " Emma asked.
Mr. Gold took a deep breath then shook his head, " No. I had... work at my shop. "
" The nuns did a really good job, " Emma said. She sighed, " So I've heard anyway. "
" I heard, " Mr. Gold tried to keep his tone as emotionless as he could. If he showed his distaste for the nuns to Emma, he knew she would have questions. After talking to her about Baelfire, he wanted to keep the uncomfortable questions to a minimum for a while.
She glanced at Granny, " My order? I hate to be pushy but I'm really starving. "
" Oh. Right, " Granny nodded. She looked at Mr. Gold, " Can I get you anything? "
" A cup of coffee and some toast with jam would be nice. I'm not too terribly hungry, " Mr. Gold replied. He looked at the booth across from Emma and motioned to it as Granny walked away. He gave her the smile he knew made her heart race. " Would you allow me to have breakfast with you to make up for missing a dinner? "
" Go ahead, " Emma smirked. " If it will get it off my tab. "
" It will, " He started to take off his scarf then glanced at her. " Could you help me with my coat, please? "
" Sure, " Emma got to her feet, taking his scarf when he handed it to her. " What do you want me to do? " She asked.
" Take my cane, " Mr. Gold offered it to her.
" Right, " She nodded and took it. She put it against the table.
Mr. Gold unbuttoned his coat and started to slide it off. He started to lose his balance as he did. Emma caught him around the waist as he started to fall, his hands going to her shoulders. He looked at her, their eyes locking for a long moment.
" That could have been bad, " He said quietly, pleased the ruse had worked. He had only pretended to fall to see what she would do. He could feel the tension in her shoulders as he held onto her. He detected a bit of panic in her eyes as well, like the near fall had scared her.
" Yeah, " Emma breathed.
" Let's try this again without the falling part, " Mr. Gold said as he got his footing again. Emma nodded but said nothing as he finished taking off his coat. Emma grabbed the coat and handed him his cane. He smiled at her again, " Thank you my dear. "
Emma nodded, still looking a bit shaken. " You're welcome. "
Mr. Gold sat down in the booth then looked up at Emma, " I'll take that. Sit. "
Emma handed him the coat and resumed her seat across from him. She sighed, " So how was your night? "
" It was... interesting, " Mr. Gold said. " I saw Regina shortly before the power went out, "
" Really? " Emma arched an eyebrow. She leaned closer, quietly asking, " What did she want? "
Mr. Gold frowned as he leaned in as well, " She knows about the petitions. "
" And? " Emma asked. " I guess she wasn't happy. She gave me an ultimatum at the police station while I was doing some work. She must have come right over from seeing you. "
" Possibly. She certainly wasn't pleased, " Mr. Gold said. " She told me you didn't need the help. "
Granny walked up with Mr. Gold's order, scoffing at what she heard. " Emma does too need help. "
" Yeah, " Emma snorted as she moved back. " I do. I can't do this all by myself. "
" Well, we talked about it but she's not convinced... yet, " Mr. Gold moved back as well.
Granny put his food down then looked at Emma, " I'm going to go check on your order. "
" Thanks, " Emma nodded but her eyes didn't leave Mr. Gold. Once Granny was gone, she leaned in again. " So how are we going to convince her? "
" We'll get the petitions signed any way, " Mr. Gold shrugged before taking a sip of his coffee. Granny had made it exactly how he liked it. He looked at the toast and jam, finding it satisfactory as well. He liked the way she seemed to remember little details about all her customers.
" And then what? " Emma asked. Granny returned and set her plate down when she moved back. Emma had gotten eggs, bacon and toast. " Sounds like she has her mind made up. "
" Perhaps, " Mr. Gold said. " We can't give it up though. We need to see it through. "
" True, " Emma nodded. " We can't let her have her way. She's bullied everyone too much. "
The bell on the door rang and Emma glanced to see who was coming in. She frowned so Mr. Gold turned to see who it was. Sidney Glass was beating a hasty trail to the table, " So is it true? " He asked pointedly, looking very worked up.
" Is what true? " Emma furrowed her brow.
" That you arrested David Nolan last night? " Sidney whispered sharply then glanced at Mr. Gold. " Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. "
" I'm sure, " Mr. Gold scoffed. He was quite sure Sidney had been lurking around, probably taking more pictures to give to Regina. He knew how the man worked.
" Sidney, " Emma noticed the scornful look Mr. Gold was giving the reporter. " I can't talk about it and you know it. It's an open case. "
" I just need to know if it's true, " Sidney said.
" She's sitting here, isn't she? " Mr. Gold said. " Use your brain... if you have one and draw your own conclusions. If he were in jail, she would be at the police station, watching him. "
Sidney frowned at the insult, " You do have a point. But the rumor is you took him away in the police car. "
" I told you, " Emma was starting to sound a little exasperated. " I can't discuss it with you and even if I could, I wouldn't do it here. "
" Then meet me at the police station later? " Sidney sounded like he was demanding more than asking.
" Are you deaf, Mr. Glass? " Mr. Gold gave Sidney an irritated look. " She said she can't talk about it. "
Sidney gave Mr. Gold an equally as dirty look, " This doesn't concern you. I'm working on a story. "
Mr. Gold snorted, " How can you be? You were fired from the paper if I recall correctly. "
" Not that it's any of your business, " Sidney sneered at Mr. Gold. " But I'm working on a sensational story that will get me back ON at the paper. "
" If Regina would let that happen, " Mr. Gold said. " Once you're on her bad side, there's no coming back. You are still on her bad side, right? " He stressed 'right' just enough to hint at his suspicions, at least to Sidney.
Sidney went pale then stammered, " I don't care about Regina any more. The paper will hire me back on MY own merits. "
" Right, " Mr. Gold smirked. " Merits. As if you had any to begin with, Mr. Glass. "
" Stop it. Just stop it, both of you, " Emma spoke before Sidney could think of a come back to Mr. Gold's words. She then looked at Sidney, " I can't talk about it, Sidney. End of discussion. "
" But Emma, " Sidney started.
" She said no, " Mr. Gold said sharply. " Now go away. "
Sidney squared his shoulders, " Fine then. I'll leave but I'm not going to stop until I have a story. "
" I'm sure you won't, " Emma and Mr. Gold said at the same time then looked at each other in surprise.
Sidney blinked at the exchange then said, " Goodbye, you two. "
Emma and Mr. Gold watched as Sidney left. Emma still looked a little freaked out from what had just happened then forced a smile, " That was weird. "
" Great minds think a like, my dear. We'll make an excellent team, " Mr. Gold said seriously. He picked up a piece of toast and spread some jam on it, " Now. Where were we? "
Rumplestiltskin sat at the spinning wheel, making wool into yarn. For ten years, he had managed to scrape by and raise Baelfire. He had help from the old crone and her sister along the way but that time was growing short. The crone, Eilionoir, had passed away months before and her sister didn't have much time left herself.
Tables had turned when the old ladies had become ill, Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin caring for them as Eilionoir and Giorsal had cared for them. It was a lot of responsibility for the ten year old but he took it in stride, doing everything he could for the ladies he called his Grannies. The old ladies had made him clothes, taught him how to spin, sew and even how to cook a bit. They said the boy would need have such skills to care for his father once they were gone.
Rumplestiltskin did what he could, not wanting to burden the old ladies or his son. He mostly hid in his home when he wasn't helping them since the village thought of him as a coward. One thing that had saved them was his spinning, the wool giving him something to barter with when they needed things the old ladies couldn't get for them.
He looked up from the wheel when Baelfire came through the door. He stopped spinning when he saw the panicked look on young boy's face. " What is it, Bae? " Rumplestiltskin got to his feet, supporting himself on the frame of the wheel.
Baelfire grabbed his walking staff, " It's Granny Giorsal. She's asking for you. It's not good. "
Rumplestiltskin went cold all over. Giorsal had been ill for weeks, being bed bound for the last five days. They had done what they could for her but it was painfully obvious she would be with Eilionoir before too long. He grabbed his staff from Baelfire, " Come on Bae. "
They went to Giorsal's house as fast as they could, Rumplestiltskin pushing himself though it made his lame leg ache. He tried to be strong for Baelfire but inside he was devastated. Giorsal was literally one of the last people in the world that cared about him, the other being Baelfire. Once she was gone, he would only have the boy.
He didn't know for how long though. The Ogre Wars still raged on and Duke of the Frontlands was lowering the draft age all the time. When Rumplestiltskin had been drafted, it had been twenty-one but the age was down to eighteen and there was talk of it being brought down to seventeen. It wouldn't be long until children were being sent to fight in place of the men who had been slain.
They arrived at Giorsal's house, Rumplestiltskin glancing at Baelfire as he he reached to open the door. " Don't come in, Bae. "
" I want to, papa. I didn't get to say goodbye to Granny Eilionoir, " Baelfire said.
Rumplestiltskin frowned. It was true. Eilionoir had died in her sleep and neither one of them had the chance to say their farewells.
" Please, papa? " Baelfire begged.
Rumplestiltskin sighed, " Alright, Bae. You can come in. "
They went inside, going to Giorsal's bedroom. The old lady was laid up in her bed, looking pale and gaunt. She had gone five days with nothing but water, unable to eat. When Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire came into the room, she mustered a weak smile.
" I came as soon as I could, " Rumplestiltskin said after he reached her bedside.
" Oh Rumple, " Giorsal's voice was weak, her breathing thready. She reached out a hand to him. " I knew you would. "
Rumplestiltskin took her hand in his. It was so cold and he felt a tear slip down his cheek, knowing she only had moments left. " You've done so much for Bae and I. I couldn't... "
" Shhhh, " Giorsal whispered. " Don't cry, my boy. You and Bae gave Eilionoir and I something we could never had. Love and a family... of sorts. "
" And I'm grateful that you could be here for us, " Rumplestiltskin tried so hard but the tears kept coming. " If it weren't for you or her... "
" I know, " Giorsal murmured then coughed. She coughed for a few moments then gasped for breath. " I called you here so you could do something for me, Rumple. "
" Anything, " Rumplestiltskin grasped her hand tighter. " Just tell me and I'll do it. "
" I want you to take whatever you want from here, " Giorsal motioned weakly with her other hand. " I know I don't have much but take it. "
" I couldn't, " Rumplestiltskin shook his head.
" I said take it, " Giorsal said as sharply as she could manage. " Otherwise it will burn. "
" Burn? " Rumplestiltskin was confused. " What do you mean? "
Giorsal coughed again then sighed, " I want you to burn my house after I'm gone. No one will help you bury my bones and there's not much left of me to bury. I don't want to burden you with worrying about that. "
Rumplestiltskin sighed. It had taken a lot of effort to get Eilionoir to her final resting place. Unable to dig a grave, Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire ended up putting her in a cave and covering the opening with rocks. Even then, Baelfire had done most of the work.
" Where's our Baelfire? " Giorsal looked around the room. " I want to see him one last time. "
Rumplestiltskin looked over to the doorway, finding the boy was lingering there. He looked like he wanted to cry but wouldn't allow himself to. " Come son. Granny Giorsal wants to see you. "
Baelfire pushed away from the doorjamb and slowly approached the bed. " Yes, Granny? "
" Take my hand, Bae, " Giorsal reached for him. Baelfire hesitated then took the old woman's hand. She looked at him tenderly, " I want you to be strong and take care of your papa. Once I'm gone, it will just be the two of you. "
" I understand, Granny, " Baelfire said quietly, a tear slipping down his cheek.
Giorsal coughed again then sighed, " You take care of him and he'll take care of you. "
" Yes ma'am, " Baelfire nodded.
" That's such a good, brave boy, " Giorsal looked very proud of him. She sighed and closed her eyes, her grip on his hand and Rumplestiltskin's hand going slack. She let out a long breath and became very still.
" Papa? " Baelfire looked at Rumplestiltskin, tears welling up in his eyes. " Is she... "
Rumplestiltskin nodded as he placed the hand he held on her chest. He pressed two fingers to her throat, feeling nothing. He frowned, " Yes. I believe so. "
Baelfire placed her other hand on top of the one already on her chest. He was silent, tears sliding down his cheeks. He glanced at Rumplestiltskin, " What do we do now? "
" What she asked us to do, Bae but not right now, " Rumplestiltskin said. He sighed, " After that... I don't know. "
Baelfire ran around the other side of the bed, throwing his arms around Rumplestiltskin. " Don't worry, papa. We'll be alright, " He sobbed into his chest.
Rumplestiltskin wrapped his arms around his son, holding him tightly as he hoped the boy was right...