Chapter Eight: Desperate Souls

.

"Be-Lacey!" Emma called, waving Belle over.

Belle smiled and hurried to the table. "Your little dagger cover up story is all over town," she said sternly.

Emma shrugged. "So I'll just stick with it. I may have to cover up his name incase I ever need to pull it out for show or something, but-"

"Can I get you two anything?" Ruby asked when she walked over.

Emma nodded. "Hot chocolate, cinnamon on top," she answered.

"I'll just have a coffee," Belle decided. "Just a small cup."

Ruby nodded and walked off to get those orders.

"It's been almost two weeks," Belle said quietly, "since Graham went missing and since we started planning. What are we going to do if this doesn't start working?"

"I don't know," Emma sighed. She sat bolt upright. "Two weeks since Graham went missing means Gold is going to call me to look at Graham's things as Sheriff. Or acting sheriff at any rate."

Belle gave a tight lip smile. "I'll come with you. That way he can't try anything without possible upsetting me." She smiled sadly. "As much as he cares about me, he never puts me above power. Only shielding me from what he doesn't want me to know."

Emma cast a sympathetic glance at the girl. "Well, we should get going," she said firmly. Turning towards Ruby she called, "Can you put that in some to go containers, please?"

The two picked up their drinks as they walked out. Emma's phone buzzing with a text from Gold.

.

"Gold! In here?" Emma called.

Mr. Gold turned to meet her. "Well, it is my shop," he said matter-of-factly. He looked rather shaken to see Belle standing with Emma.

Emma gave him a piercing look and rested her hand on the hilt of the dagger in warning. "Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department… If you want to talk about that quickly-"

Mr. Gold cut her off. "Yes...I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really. The Sheriff was a good man."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Graham might not be dead."

Gold smiled slightly. "Of course not. But he's been missing for two weeks. You can move up to sheriff after that point. You're still wearing the Deputy's badge. You'll have to wear the real badge."

Emma sighed softly. "Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words." She and Belle go to leave.

"I have his things."

Emma froze. "What?" She asked.

"The Sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."

Emma groaned. "I don't need anything."

"Look, I feel that all of this stuff is headed for the trash bin – you really should take something. Look – his jacket." Gold held up said jacket.

"No," Emma said firmly.

Mr. Gold held up two walkie talkies. "Well, look. Your boy might like these, don't you think? You could play together." Before Emma could fake protest, Gold added, "No, please. They… They grow up so fast."

Emma took the gadgets. "Thanks."

"You enjoy these with your boy," Gold said softly. "Your time together is precious, you know? That's the thing about children – before you know it, you lose them." He looked like he is remembering his experience with Baelfire.

.

Emma met Henry at his playground castle, and had brought the two walkie talkies with her. She sat down next to him and handed him one. "Brought you something. Thought we could use them together for Operation Cobra."

Henry grinned. "Thanks!"

Emma smiled back. "So, how's being back sorta?"

Henry though a moment. "Well, he's, my future self that is, confused I think. So am I. It like sitting in the passenger seat of a car. When he's in control, I'm just along for the ride and when I'm in control, he's along for the ride. It's strange at times."

"Sorry," Emma sighed. "But we will figure this out. Maybe all it takes is a trigger, like with Belle."

"What's the trigger?" Henry questioned.

"Magic," Emma said quietly. "Henry, you have never experienced magic, so your soul and mind can't completely come back! If that makes sense."

"Nope," Henry said cheerfully. "But I trust your idea."

Emma groaned. "Breaking this curse early is starting to become more and more tempting."

.

Emma walked into the sheriff station and faced the discarded sheriffs badge. "Okay," she told herself. "Here we go." She grabbed the badge and placed it in place of her deputy badge.

"Thought I might find you here," Regina commented as she walked in the station. Glancing at the badge she smirked. "You know, that badge isn't for you still."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? And why is that?"

"Graham isn't actually dead or missing," Regina explained.

"Well, to everyone else he is," Emma protested. "I have to play the part until we sort out this mess."

"Not much longer, Swan," Regina said consolingly.

.

Belle walked into Mr. Gold Pawnbroker hesitantly. "Hello?" She called unsure.

"Lacey French," Gold said softly. "What can I do for you?"

Belle fidgeted. "I, um, haven't told you, I mean, I'm need to," she sighed. "Look, I, I know you're Rumplestiltskin," she rushed out. Belle flushed.

Gold froze. "Belle?" He asked gently. "You, remember?"

Belle bit her lip. "Yes," she whispered. "I'm sorry I lied about my name, but I just couldn't tell you, but I felt bad, and-"

Rumple cut her off. "Belle, it's fine, it's fine. But why do you hang around Regina if you remember?" He looked upset.

Belle tried to think a way out of this one. Finally, coming up with nothing, she answered lamely, "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, I think I'm beginning to," Gold said angrily. "Regina set you up to this, didn't she?"

Belle shook her head. "No, she doesn't even know I'm doing this. She and Emma will probably murder me for telling you, but you'd find out eventually."

"Belle," Gold said softly, "Emma, she stolen my dagger. If your friends with them could you-"

"No," Belle said firmly.

"No?" Rumplestiltskin repeated, taken aback.

"No," Belle said again. "If you really love me, you'll let Emma keep that dagger and put me before your power. Emma would never abuse the power to control you. The only time I can think of her actually using it would to prevent you from harming someone." She swallowed before continuing. "Look, I'll be at Granny's for breakfast in three days time at seven fifteen. If you are able to put me above the dagger, you'll know where to find me, Rumple." She turned and walked toward the door. Before she left she added something. "Think on it really hard," she said. "I'll see you in three days maybe." With that she left heaving a huge sigh of relief.

.

Regina, Emma, the rest of the time travelers, and several news reporters gathered in Regina's office.

Regina spoke to the reporters. "Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes. It has been two weeks since Sheriff Graham's disappearance, so Deputy Sheriff Emma Swan will now be instated as Sheriff. Please welcome your new Sheriff!" Regina pinned the Sheriff's badge on Emma to make the change official.

.

Regina stormed into Granny's the next morning plopping down in front of Emma. She shoved a paper at Emma. "Did you see this?" She hissed to the Savior.

Emma glanced at the article title and groaned. "Really?" She asked quietly.

Regina huffed. "I cannot believe Sidney," she whispered. "He approached me last night and asked if I could appoint him to run as a candidate for Sheriff. When I told him no, he got angry and ran out. I never thought he would do this of his own free will."

"People are going to call for an election," Emma realized. "And he can put himself in it."

Just then, Henry entered. He smiled when he saw his two moms and sat down beside them. He saw the paper. It was obvious that it was his ten year old self when Emma saw his expression.

"'Ex-Jailbird – Emma Swan birthed babe behind bars'?" Henry asked crushed. "Is it a lie?"

Emma sighed. "No."

"I was born in jail?" Henry asked neutrally.

Emma sighed again. "Yes. These records were supposed to be sealed. Tell me you're not scarred for life."

Henry shook his head. "I'm not. Well, not by this. I've seen worse, or will see worse."

Emma smiled relieved. "Good. Then, let's throw this out and we will get our news from something more reliable. Like the internet."

Henry laughed. "Not sure that's anymore reliable."

.

Emma and Regina entered Sidney's office with the newspaper in hand.

Regina waved it in his face. "This was a juvie record. This was sealed by court order. I don't know how you got it, but that's abuse of power and illegal."

"I don't care what people know, but this hurts Henry," Emma exclaimed.

Regina nodded along. "He would've learned eventually, but Emma should have been able to tell him herself without this."

Emma and Regina exited the office in a huff and walk through the building.

"Going to set a fire and save my life?" Regina asked deviously.

Emma smirked. "Why don't you do the honors?"

Regina complied and blasted a fireball at the exit they were approaching.

"Hurry!" Regina gasped. "That took more energy than I thought. We can take the exit down on that side." She let small stray fireballs loose every few feet.

As they approached the exit, an explosion went off, and set the room on fire all around them. Regina's ankle was crushed by a piece of debris and was immobilized. Emma sprayed water to try and keep the fire under control.

"Bad idea!" She gasped. Emma grabbed Regina, and using water to clear a pathway, pulled Regina and herself out of the burning office.

A reporter took a picture of them leaving and sirens were heard in the background.

Regina quickly healed her ankle as they left the smoke.

"Emma!" Killian yelled. He ran up to her and almost kissed her until Emma reminded him not to.

"It might break the curse," she protested sadly.

Regina put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Who can argue now that you aren't a good sheriff?" She asked. "Saving my life in a burning building and all."

Mary Margaret smiled. "No one can say you can't do the job, Emma."

Ruby agreed with her. "You're a hero."

.

Emma barged into Gold's shop. "You alone?" She asked calmly.

Gold nodded wearily.

"Good," Emma paused. "Belle told me about the little chat you two had yesterday. I want you to know what she said was true. I won't use the dagger unless it come to life and death."

"I know," Gold said quietly. "See, contrary to your belief, I do actually trust Belle, and that she was speaking the truth. Besides, you don't seem the type to abuse power."

"You don't even know me," Emma stated.

Mr. Gold smiled. "Oh, yes, Miss Swan, I do know you. Or more specifically, your type," he said. "I know how to recognize a desperate soul."

Emma was taken aback. "And how am I desperate?" She countered.

Gold's mouth twitched. "The look you have is the one I had all the years I spent searching for a way to find my son and before then to protect him."

Emma nodded absently. "Well, just treat Belle right. If you do make an attempt on the dagger, well, I can bet you all the money in the world, Belle with know ASAP and she will leave you like your something foul to her." Emma spun on heel and walked out.

.

A/N: So I didn't end the curse. Not yet anyway.

August comes to town next chapter! Yay! We may save him yet.

I really don't know when I want this curse to end, but I need Robin and Rumple back before then. Of course, we don't know when or how Henry will be able to be full back. Emma might be right with the magic part.

The way I see it for that theory is that Emma, Regina, Killian, Snow, Charming, Belle, Robin, and Rumple have all been affected by magic before the curse and even by the curse. Henry was never affected other than the fact that his mom has magic. Thus, since he hasn't come in contact with magic, he cannot receive his older self's soul and mind properly without magic returning to Storybrooke.

So the last part was kinda awkward. I really like Gold's "I know how to recognize a desperate soul" line, so I had to put it in.

Belle's sorta date with Gold is three days from when she said it. So the first day was covered this chapter, second day is going to be covered next chapter, and the actually date of the date will be in chapter ten called 7:15 a.m. That's why the date is that time and that date.

So Gold can't get his dagger back without loosing Belle. Will he actually listen this time? He will most likely try to get it back obviously, but Emma and Belle won't know of it.

Hansel and Gretel next chapter. Well, Nicolas and Ava really.