Had some unexpected free time tonight, so here . . . have a chapter!
This one is a tiny bit cryptic but keep in mind that EVERYTHING that is said means something or I wouldn't put it there. :)
I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'
Emma Swan didn't have a very charmed life. Her earliest memory was when she was about five years old – she was in the principal's office at school, her first day in kindergarten. She remembers punching some boy in the face, though she couldn't quite remember why. Emma was certain, however, that there was probably a good reason for it.
She was told that her parents died when she was three. She had no memory of them, and only one photo of them – she resembled her father much more than her mother. She knew she had no family. And she knew that no one had ever wanted her. She spent most of her childhood being shuffled from foster home to foster home, some better than others. When she turned seventeen, she petitioned to be emancipated, and it was granted provided that she finish high school, which she did. Emma wasn't the best student in the world – she was alright; never got straight A's, but never failed anything, either.
During her final year of school, when she was on her own, she met someone. He was nineteen, handsome, and he treated her like a princess. She was in love with him. At least she thought it was love. Until he left. And then she found out she was pregnant.
She was angry at first. Anger soon turned into fear. She didn't know what to do – should she get rid of it? Should she give it up? Should she keep the baby? She ended up choosing the latter – and Emma was determined to give her son, her Henry, a far better life than she had. For once in her life someone wanted her and someone loved her. Henry would never doubt that he was loved, not if she had anything to say about it.
Shortly after Henry was born, Emma knew that she wasn't going to be able to provide for her little boy on a high school education, not in the way that she felt he deserved. She just had to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She enjoyed adventure and was always getting into trouble as a kid – nothing major, but enough to get sent to the principal at least every other week. In sixth grade, she once over heard the principal say that 'kids Emma usually either end up in jail, or they become a cop.' She never forgot that. And that's what made her decided to study criminal justice.
Emma worked very hard to support herself and Henry and to do well in school. After her second year in the program, she was approached after class one day by a man who said that one of her teachers had recommended her for a special training program in addition to her coursework. Emma had a gift for solving puzzles – and she had an uncanny ability to tell when someone was lying. She was one of the top students in her class, and this opportunity would accelerate her training and education and possibly even place her in a government surveillance program.
It was through this training that she met Ian Gold. He had handpicked her out of a number of other candidates in the program to be trained under his tutelage. At least that's what he told her. She couldn't understand why she had to go to the creepy old pink house (or salmon, as he reprimanded her several times) for training. He was strict, and demanding – but she learned more from him than in any of her classes.
He wasn't all bad though. At least her son didn't think so. Mr. Gold allowed Henry to come to the house when she worked with him. She actually thought he lit up a bit whenever Henry was there. It was clear this odd, reclusive man, adored children. Once Henry could talk he asked Mr. Gold one day if he could call him 'Grandpa Gold'. Emma was embarrassed – and stunned when Gold said that yes, he could do that.
After her training and schooling was complete, Emma was given an entry-level job with the CIA at Gold's recommendation. She and Henry spent the next several years traveling to various parts of the country, and sometimes outside of the country. On occasion she would return to Maine to work with Gold; Henry always enjoyed that – he was always happy to see his 'grandpa'.
Nearly two years ago, Emma was asked to settle in Maine to begin working with Gold on the Regina Mills syndicate case. This was the biggest case she had been given – and Gold asked for her specifically to assist him. He spent his entire day holed up in his house, doing computer surveillance. She was amazed at how much the man could accomplish without even leaving his home. She never questioned why he didn't leaving – something in her gut told her that she probably didn't want to know.
About a year into the assignment, they began to get closer than ever to gathering evidence against Regina Mills. Unfortunately, she seemed to be two steps ahead of them at every turn, and they just couldn't pinpoint why that was.
One afternoon, she had taken Henry to the park to play for a bit. He was almost nine years old; every free moment she had was his. That afternoon her cell phone was ringing off the hook. Work-related issues that just couldn't seem to wait until she got home. She only looked away for a moment. Not even a minute, really. Henry had been playing on the swings. And then she looked up – and he wasn't there. She ran through the park, frantically calling out his name. But he wasn't there. He was gone. It was as if he had simply – vanished.
Only he didn't vanish. Gold immediately got to work on the search for him, and soon it was discovered that the person who took him was none other than Regina Mills. And that was their dilemma. If they took out Regina – they'd never find Henry. And Regina was crafty, and clever, and knew how to hide better than anyone, because Regina herself had had a good mentor – and Ian Gold regretted every moment of training he gave to her.
"Any word on Hopper?" Gold asked Emma after she got off the phone.
"Still not talking." Emma said. "Whoever got to him is way scarier than we are."
"Why don't you bring him here to have a chat? I'll show him scary." Gold said.
"Yeah, after your last interrogation debacle, you're not allowed to do that anymore." Emma said. "It has to be Regina. Who else could it be?"
"Well, whoever she's working for, for one. Regina got caught – she's getting sloppy. It was only a matter of time before that happened, she was never as disciplined as you were." Gold said. "It's hard to stay disciplined when your only motivation is revenge."
"His birthday's tomorrow. He'll be ten." Emma said, sniffling back tears. "Do you think she knows that?"
"I don't know." Gold replied.
"I bought him a present. I was hoping he'd be home so I could give it to him. But he's not – and instead of being with my son, I have to haul your girlfriend off to England because you were too caught up in your little lust fest to spot a snitch." Emma remarked angrily.
"And what about you? You're supposed to be so intuitive – you're the one who cleared Hopper, not me. I trusted you had done a thorough job." Gold said.
"I told you – they got to him after. It was your job to figure it out after that point, I never saw him." Emma said. "I should go – I think we're done for the day. I'm sure you and Belle want to have one last nice evening together."
"Yeah. We do." Gold said sadly.
"Gwen's flight comes in late tonight, I'm picking her up." Emma said. "She'll be here tomorrow."
"I don't know why you called her." Gold said.
"I can't just leave you here by yourself, not after everything that's happened the last couple of weeks." Emma said. "You know she's gonna raid your booze stash and pitch it, right?"
"She'll have to find it all first." Gold said.
"Are you actually planning a life with Belle or what? Cause you're gonna have to get your crap together if that's your goal. I keep telling you that I think you need to be in rehab but that would require you leave the house." Emma said. "You think she's gonna permanently hole herself up in this tomb of a mansion with you and your over-priced whiskey and anger management issues? Don't count on it."
"I'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now – my priority is getting Henry back, getting rid of Regina Mills, and keeping Belle safe." Gold said.
"How much have you told her about – stuff?" Emma asked.
"She knows about Bae." Gold said.
"Does she know what happened or HOW it happened?" Emma asked. Gold paused for a moment.
"She knows I lost him. That's all – for now." Gold said. "I don't see the point in going into all the details just yet."
"What about your, uh – personal issues?" Emma asked.
"She knows what she needs to know at the moment." Gold said. Emma rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, this is a healthy relationship. Gonna last for years." Emma remarked sarcastically.
"Don't you have somewhere to be? I believe I've had enough of your judgment." Gold said.
"Fine, I'll go. You're eating that disgusting sheep food thing tonight, aren't you?" Emma asked.
"It's called haggis – and I recall you enjoying it quite a bit when you were a wee little thing. Even asked for seconds." Gold said.
"Yeah, I'm glad I don't remember that." Emma said, making a face. "I'll see you tomorrow." Emma said, and she left. A few minutes after Emma left, Gold picked up his phone and made a call.
"So – you have our friend then?" Gold asked. "Yes – downstairs, in the back room. Make sure he's – kept quiet. I'll get to him this evening." Gold said, and he hung up the phone.
"I'm not eating that." Belle said as she looked down at her plate.
"One bite – that's all I'm asking." Gold said. Belle took a taste of the potatoes on her plate. "Of the HAGGIS. Your turn to try new things, love. We had a deal." Belle put a piece of the haggis on her fork and made a face as she put it up to her mouth. She took a very small bite, closed her eyes, and swallowed. She cringed as it made its way down her throat. Belle immediately reached for her iced tea and practically gulped the entire glass down. "Well?" Gold asked.
"I think I'm full." Belle said, shoving her plate away.
"Alright – more for me." Gold said, and he grabbed her plate.
"You'd better brush your teeth at least three times before you even think about kissing me after you eat that slop." Belle said. She darted out of the room and into the basement, then came back up several minutes later.
"Really didn't like it, huh?" Gold asked.
"Awful." Belle said.
"Perhaps I should have ordered some Vegemite for you to spread on it." Gold teased.
"You're not funny." Belle said. Gold stood up and walked over to Belle and moved in to kiss her, and she backed away. "Upstairs – brush your teeth. Get that foul taste off of your breath, and then we'll do that." Gold pouted.
"Alright, fine." Gold said.
"I'll clean up down here, and then I'll join you. I think I'd like to turn in early tonight." Belle said.
"Me too." Gold replied, and he headed upstairs.
That evening, Belle and Gold lay snuggled together in his bed. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" Belle asked.
"Mrs. Potts will be here. I'll be fine." Gold said.
"No more drinking, right? You promise me you'll stop." Belle said.
"I'll try." Gold replied.
"And your temper?" Belle asked. Gold sighed as he held her close.
"There are many things you don't know, Belle. And I don't have time to tell you all of them right now – and I'm not really sure that I'd want to even if I did." Gold said.
"Ian – you can tell me anything." Belle said to him. "How about one thing? We each tell one another one thing that we haven't told yet. One more thing." Gold thought about it for a moment.
"Alright." Gold said.
"I'll go first." Belle said. "I – I stole once. At a bookstore. I was in college and there was this book I wanted and I didn't have any money or credit cards on me and I just – took it."
"It doesn't count as stealing if you go back the next day to pay for it." Gold said.
"How do you know I did that?" Belle asked.
"Because that's something you'd do." Gold said. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just not as interesting as you." Belle said. Gold laughed.
"Not interesting? Belle – you fascinate me. You're kind, and lovely, and you have a smile that lights up an entire room. That's what you are – pure light. You brought light into my world – I haven't had that in twenty years." Gold said. Belle kissed him, blushing a bit.
"So what about you? Your turn to tell me something." Belle said. Gold hesitated and thought to himself for a bit of time. "Ian – I told you – you can tell me anything."
"My wife, she um – she left me for another man. She was going to run off with him and – she had Bae with her. I didn't know he was with her, and um – they were in an accident. He wasn't supposed to be with her that day, but – he was. I should have made sure he was home – I'd still have him if I'd just made sure he was home." Gold said, his voice trembling.
"Oh, Ian – it's not your fault." Belle said, holding onto him tightly. "Your wife, was she – did she die too?" Gold nodded yes, and hugged Belle tightly.
"I will fix this, Belle. I won't let you be gone long, I promise. You will come back to me, won't you?" Gold asked.
"Of course I will." Belle said, and she lifted her head up and kissed him. "And when I come back you'll tell me everything, right?"
"I promise." Gold said.
"And you'll start working on living again, right?" Belle asked.
"I think I can do that – if I have you with me." Gold said. "If you'll help me."
"Well – before all of this chaos happened – I really wasn't living much myself, I was stuck in a bit of a rut, so – we'll help each other, how does that sound?" Belle asked.
"Alright." Gold said. "We'll help each other."
Gold waited until he was certain that Belle was sound asleep. He got out of bed, walked around to the nightstand on Belle's side of the bed, and took out the gun that was inside of it. He made his way downstairs and into his office. He walked up to the wall in the far corner and pushed on it, and it opened. A small, hidden room was behind the hidden door. And inside the room was Archie Hopper, gagged and tied to a chair. There was a small table and another chair in the room. Gold set his gun down on the table, grabbed the chair, and placed it in front of Hopper, the back of the chair facing the frightened man. Gold removed the gag from Hopper, and straddled the chair, facing him.
"Let me explain." Hopper said, his voice trembling.
"Oh, I'm sure it will be fascinating. Truly fascinating." Gold growled at him. He bent toward Hopper and shoved the tip of his cane in the doctor's mouth. "I'm gonna let you breathe in a second." Gold said, gritting his teeth. "And you're gonna say two sentences. The first is going to tell me who got to you. And the second is going to tell me where she is. Do you understand the rules?" Hopper nodded. "Good. Let's begin." Gold said, and he pulled his cane away.
"I needed the money." Archie whined.
"Now – now you see? THAT is not a good first sentence!" Gold shouted, and lifted up his cane and brought it down upon the man violently.