Briar: "They never tell you some things. They tell you mages have wonderful power and they learn all kinds of secrets. Nobody ever mentions that some secrets you don't ever want to learn."
Rosethorn: "All you can do is learn good to balance the bad. Learn and do all the good within your reach. Then, if you wake in a sweat, you have something to set against the dream."

Tamora Pierce- Street Magic

Part Seven

When they got to the loft David made a beeline for the bathroom and left Emma to fill his wife in on events. He knew it was the coward's way out, but after a full shift and with no likelihood of rest anytime soon he didn't feel up to banging his head against the thick, thick wall of Snow's continued animosity toward Regina.

Sitting at the breakfast bar Emma filtered out the background noise of David singing in the shower and watched Snow putting the kettle on to boil. The petite brunette kept her back to Emma as she fiddled with the mugs arranging them and rearranging them rapidly and without pause like she was playing the three shells game.

When they'd arrived and Snow first caught sight of Emma's injuries she'd been all over the blonde fussing and insisting she lie down on the couch and rest while she prattled on about taking care of her baby. Emma, worried, exhausted and hurting had given her short shrift and taken her usual stool at the breakfast bar before she unceremoniously launched into bringing her mother up to speed on recent events.

In order to avoid giving Snow any possible encouragement to fuss over her, Emma didn't look at the brunette, keeping her eyes concentrated on the work surface in front of her as she spoke. Her gaze fixed on her hands she completely missed the look of dismay and guilt when she described her fight with Regina's dream demons. It was while Emma described last night's dream events and Regina's current condition that Snow had manically insisted they all needed something hot to drink and so was currently making tea for everyone with the focus and concentration you would normally use to defuse a bomb.

"So what do you think?" Emma prodded when the other woman didn't answer her final question.

"Think? About what?" The brunette continued to keep her back to Emma while she reached for the boiling kettle.

"About what? Weren't you listening to me? About Regina, do you think it's some form of a sleeping curse? David doesn't think so from his experience but, well he wasn't cursed for anywhere near as long as you were so he's not sure."

Emma waited for an answer but Snow didn't say anything as she continued to fiddle with the mugs before heading to the fridge for milk. Emma's last nerve snapped and she stood up so forcefully her stool rocketed back into the wooden beam behind her before tumbling to the floor.

"I don't have time for this crap Mary Margaret, if you don't know just say so and I can get on with talking to Gold and Blue." She glared at the small woman.

"Oh Emma, no, I'm…I'm sorry I was just thinking, trying to remember."

The brunette looked stricken at Emma's reaction but at least she was now facing her and speaking to her. Emma ran her fingers through her hair getting a grip on her anger and her nerves. The longer she was away from Regina the more agitated and worried she was becoming.

"Look, I'm sorry okay, I'm really tired and my ribs hurt like hell. I just want to find out what the hell is going on and fix this so Regina can wake up and…" She took a deep breathe to hold back the tears she could feel just beginning to sting the corners of her tired eyes. "I can't stand to see her tortured like this. I need to get her out of these dreams and away from those demons."

Snow's hackles rose and her features hardened at Emma's talk of rescuing the woman who she believed deserved far worse than simple nightmares, even ones infested with demons. After all the crimes Regina had committed, all the lives she took and those she had ruined why should she have the blessing of quiet nights when so many of her surviving victims didn't have that luxury. She shuddered as images of the fiery room she still found herself in from time to time rose up before her mind's eye, along with memories of her father. Snow couldn't stop herself from snapping out some of what she was thinking.

"Yes well I'm sure a few restless nights won't kill her Emma. We all have nightmares, most of them induced by Regina in one way or another so maybe this is a fitting punishment for her."

Emma usually tried to cut Snow some slack, realising that she was just like every other citizen of Storybrooke, trying to navigate the strangeness of their new lives with fractured memories and without the aid of the curse, but Snow's stubbornness and narrow mindedness were constant irritants to her daughter. Emma couldn't understand where the sweet tempered pre-broken curse Mary Margaret or the intelligent and resourceful Snow White she'd come to admire in the Enchanted Forest had disappeared to, but she really wasn't impressed with the cloying, judgemental and sanctimonious woman they seemed to have left in their stead.

"A few restless nights?! Did you hear what I was telling you?" Emma angrily pointed at her black eye and cut cheek. "Did you miss these little presents from those demons? God knows what they're doing to her now that she's trapped there!" She glared at her mother ignoring David who had walked up behind Snow as she was speaking.

"What's going on?" David asked, the relaxing effects of his shower retreating instantly upon seeing his wife and daughter squaring off over the kitchen counter/breakfast bar. Emma straightened her back and cast Snow a withering glance before answering her father.

"Let's go David; we need to fit in Blue after Gold and I want to get back to Regina."

"Emma no! I mean, please wait, I do want to help. Let me go see Blue while you and David go see Rumpelstiltskin." Snow gasped out, a note of desperation clear in her voice.

Emma paused at the door confused, for some reason her lie detector was pinging like crazy, it had been through most of her conversation with Snow. Her head muddled from lack of sleep and her impatience to be on her way she decided to attribute it to the fact that her mother didn't really want to help Regina but would reluctantly help her daughter at least. Emma decided she needed all the assistance she could get and accepted Snow's offer.

"Good. You see Blue and call me when you're done so I can head straight back to the mansion when we're done with Gold. Come on David."

David gave Snow a quick peck on the cheek and moved toward the door before Emma decided to drag him bodily from the apartment. Neither Emma nor David noticed the continued look of panic and guilt on Snow's face as she followed several feet behind them, grabbing her car keys from the bowl by the door and reaching for her coat in the same motion. It was a look that would remain firmly fixed her entire trip to the convent.

"Gold!"

Emma's voice rang out much louder than the small bell that would normally have announced entrance to the shop. There was a short pause before the clicking gait of the man's tread and cane was heard seconds before he appeared from the back room of the shop.

"Something I can help you with Sheriff?"

Emma took a deep breath trying to control her reaction to seeing Gold for the first time since she'd dealt with his doppelganger demon. Nerves raw, she moved toward the counter.

"Was it you?" She growled out.

"Was it me? I don't know what you mean. Perhaps a few more details would help Miss Swan. I'm a sorcerer not a clairvoyant." He gave a smirking chuckle. "Well at least not anymore, that particular power doesn't seem to have transferred to this world."

Emma suppressed a shudder as his chuckle caused her to remember the cackling sing song voice of the taunts the demon had thrown at her before straightening her shoulders and marching up to the counter and leaning forward right into his face.

"Don't mess with me Gold. Did you curse Regina? And don't forget I don't need to be a clairvoyant to tell if you're lying."

"I have no idea what you're talking about Miss Swan. I assure you I haven't cursed anyone not even the Evil Queen."

Emma scowled at the name and leant even further forward causing Gold to take a step back. David came up behind her and put a restraining hand on her arm. Emma stopped her forward motion but didn't acknowledge him more than that.

"Her name is Regina. You won't call her the Evil Queen again in my hearing if you know what's good for you."

Mr Gold took another step back but smirked at Emma's bravado as he did so.

"Indeed? Well then, Regina..."

His smirk deepened before he continued.

"…is under a curse is she? I'm assuming from your choice of words that she is still alive at least."

He paused to adjust his stance putting both hands on his cane and leant slightly forward.

"As I said, I've not cursed anyone… recently that is."

Emma hated how the man always measured and twisted his words in order to manipulate every conversation, every interaction. She was in no mood for his tricks or games, but she needed help so she tamped down on her dislike for the man and continued.

"Okay. I believe you." She took a deep breath and continued. "She seems to be under some kind of sleeping curse, but it's not like the ones Snow, Aurora or Henry and David were under, and I seem to be connected to it as well."

Emma saw the quirk of interest in Gold's deep hazel eyes.

"Connected, how?" The blandness of his voice was at odds with the glimmer of interest in his eyes, a glimmer that grew in intensity as Emma described the events of the past weeks and Regina's current condition.

"So, do you know what kind of curse it is? Do you know how we can break it?"

Gold took a step forward the glint in his eye becoming sharper and obviously more avaricious, showing the direction of his thoughts quite clearly.

"Oh indeed, I know the curse and how to break it."

Emma's muscles warred with themselves wanting to relax because she was making progress and to wanting to tense further waiting for what conditions Gold might come up with for providing the information she needed. She braced herself when she saw the feral smirk form on the older man's face.

"But as you know Miss Swan, information like magic, comes with a price. Are you willing to pay the price Sheriff?"

Emma stayed silent watching him and assessing what kind of price or deal he'd demand, knowing even if she agreed the price there would be a sting somewhere in the help he might offer. Not for the first time she wondered how the people of Storybrooke could so easily gloss over this man's evil deeds and obvious manipulation of Regina and focus all their hate on her instead.

"I'd rather have the price from Regina, but I'll take payment from you if I have to."

Emma remained silent and still, trying to think ahead. God, she hated this, hated having to deal with Gold, hated him and all his games.

"Well Dearie? Do we make a deal? Are you willing to pay for Regina?"

Something in the tone of his words caused Emma to snap, she'd finally had enough. She leapt, sailing over the counter top so quickly the man behind it didn't have the time to blink, before he felt the cold barrel of the Sheriff's revolver pressing into his neck at the same time his back collided with the wall behind him. David, equally taken by surprise stepped forward fumbling to get his own gun free.

"Screw your magic, you're in my world now Rumpelstiltskin. I may not be able to harness my magic yet but I do know how to use the business end of a .45. So let me be crystal clear, there will be no deals, no price for anyone but you. You'll be footing the bill for this one. According to my ledger you are hip deep in debt to Regina and knee deep to me."

She pushed the barrel even deeper into his neck.

"Let's just say I'm here to collect some of that debt. Now what is this curse and how do we break it?"

Emma kept the gun pressed into his neck, not willing to back off until she got what she needed to help Regina. Gold made a small gesture with his hand and Emma felt a strange heat coming from the handle of the gun, a heat that increased rapidly. Ignoring the pain Emma glared at Gold and pushed the barrel even more firmly into his neck.

"Pain makes me clench my hands Stiltskin, you know, flexes my trigger finger. You sure you wanna do what you're doing?"

She gave him her own feral smile showing her determination, before she felt the gun handle begin to cool.

"I think we have a stalemate Miss Swan. I won't help you for nothing and if you kill me you won't get your answers either." He sneered at her, confident in his position despite his uncertain magic control.

"You're right. Well you're right about the problem with killing you anyway."

Emma grinned at him before she moved and quick as a flash her arms were realigned, one hand firmly grasping Gold's throat and the other pressing her gun painfully into his crotch.

"But then I don't have to kill you to cause you a world of pain now do I?" She gave a wicked chuckle that caused both Gold and David to shiver in dread.

"That's the only deal you're going to get Stiltskin. Tell me what the curse is and how to break it and you get to keep your manhood."

She pressed the gun into his groin causing him to yelp in pain and try to squirm away from the pressure of the barrel. He looked into the hard green gaze and new he was cornered. His magical experiments over the past few months, while sometimes fruitful, had served mainly to highlight just how unwieldy it was to use magic in this world. He realised he had little choice but to acquiesce to the blonde's demands, and it irked him no end to be in this helpless situation. However being the Dark One aside, one thing that he definitely knew just from being Rumpelstiltskin, was that running away meant you could come back another day.

"Well Miss Swan it would seem my options are severely limited. Fine I'll help you. Now could you kindly remove your gun from my codpiece?"

Emma looked at him, gauged his sincerity, no pings on her radar appeared, but Rumpelstiltskin was the master of twisted meanings so she decided to be very clear, bind him to a deal and deny him any come back.

"I will, when we finalise what the agreement is between us."

Emma grinned when she saw his eyes narrow in suspicion before they closed and he winced in reaction to her pressing the gun firmly into his groin once more.

"That's right O Dark One; I will be providing the details for this agreement, not you. You will tell me what this curse is that Regina is under. You'll tell me everything you know, suspect, or have ever heard or read about the curse from other sources, how it is cast, who could cast it and how you think the curse might be affected by having been cast in this world. You will tell me all of the ways the curse can be broken, every detail and every possible outcome or side effect that might be associated with any particular action. If magic ingredients or potions are necessary you will provide them or make them correctly and with no omissions or additions to their required effect to break the curse and ensure Regina is unharmed."

Emma paused running over what she'd said looking for any possible loopholes Gold might try to slip through. On the third run through she decided the wording would cover all eventualities to her advantage and not his.

"I will accept this information and assistance and the successful release of Regina from the curse in good health physically and mentally as payment from you for all the ways your scheming and manipulations screwed my life over in the past. Acceptance on your part nullifies any debt you owe to me and any debt you feel or think I owe to you, or any debt I actually owe you. Your debts to Regina remain intact and will be for her to collect on."

Emma leaned in till she was literally nose to nose with the man grinding her gun painfully into him as she did so.

"If you twist, change or ignore any detail I just listed, if you lie or leave anything out whatsoever or if Regina, myself or any third parties are harmed by the information and assistance you provide then the deal is void and I will be back to collect on your debt to me. Likewise if you attack me, Regina or any third party before providing the information you will immediately suffer the same fate as the person you harm."

Emma kept her grip on Gold's neck firm but eased up a little on his groin and moved back slightly to get his answer.

"Do you agree to every detail and clause I just stated? Do you agree that your verbal assent is as binding as any written contract you have ever made before? Saying the phrase; 'Yes I. Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One also known as Mr Gold agree to this deal as detailed and stated by Emma Swan. I agree the deal being made at gunpoint does not nullify or make it void as the gun merely cancels out my powers as the Dark One. I make the deal with Emma Swan, also known as Princess Emma, daughter of Snow White and Prince David sometimes called James or Charming,' will make this a magically endorsed and binding contract between us."

When she saw the deep frown etch itself on Gold's features Emma felt she'd done a pretty thorough job in heading off any ways for him to get out of the agreement should he accept her terms. She remained vigilant, grip still in place on his throat as he thought and made his decision. Emma felt the growl in Gold's throat before the words actually left his lips. Slowly and clearly Rumpelstiltskin ground out each word of Emma's devising, binding himself to the first ever deal that he had not written himself. The damned Saviour had well and truly cornered him and he would be bound to honour this agreement as thoroughly as any of his victims had been bound to his deals.

When Gold had finally finished and was truly bound Emma let go of his throat and took a step back pulling her gun away from his groin but kept it in her hand rather than holstering the weapon. David, still standing beside her let out the breath he'd been holding as he watched his daughter threaten and then best the Dark One. His legs were a little weak from all the tension, but he was bursting with fatherly pride nonetheless as he patted her on the back in congratulation.

Thoughts of revenge already running through his mind, Gold glared at the pair of them and tutted his impatience with the display. Emma raised her eyebrow at his exasperated clucking and waved her empty hand at him to begin.

"Given the detailed constraints you've put me under this is likely to take some time to explain. You'll understand when I say I'm less than happy to invite you to make yourselves comfortable here, so might I suggest we adjourn to the Sheriff's station?"

Gold didn't bother to wait for a reply as he moved around the counter and moved toward the door. Emma and David shrugged at each other happy enough to agree to the location and followed the limping form through the door.

Snow White arrived at the Convent and haphazardly parked her station wagon before hurrying through the main doors. Absently giving small waves to the few fairies she passed, she made a straight line to the door at the end of the corridor still labelled, 'Mother Superior' and pushed it open without bothering to knock.

The Blue Fairy, still dressed as a nun, looked up in surprise but smiled when she saw it was Snow. She didn't immediately register the woman's nervous agitation and automatically invited her friend and ward to sit down.

"We have a problem Blue." Snow blurted out as she frantically began wringing her hands together.

"Oh?"

Snow raised guilt-stricken eyes to the fairy.

"Emma knows."

Blue gasped and fell to her chair in shock.