Chapter 21: We're heading towards the end

Taylor waited in front of Henry's school to pick him up. It was a cold day so she wore a pair of black jeans, paired with a white blouse, a dark blue knitted vest, dark brown coloured boots and of course her grey jacket with the red tartan scarf.

"Taylor?" she heard out of nothing. She turned around.

"Oh Emma, hey… I, Henry cannot see you right now. Miss Mills asked me to keep him away from you or I lose my job, then I have to leave town…"

"No it's fine Taylor, really. You cannot help you need to work for the mayor. I just wanted Henry to have his book back…" Emma handed the big fairytale book over to Taylor.

"You borrowed it?" Taylor said as the wind blew her soft curls in her face, which she tried to hold back.

"Yes I did, there was an um… story I wanted to read." She smiled at Taylor "Well I guess I need to go, otherwise Henry will see me and then… Well let's say we all want to keep you in Storybrooke Taylor." Emma laid her hand on her upper arm for a brief moment as she walked out.

"Taylor there you are!" Henry ran towards her, Emma left just on time.

"Hey Henry! Hey, do you want to go to my apartment first before I bring you home? Your mom wanted you to have a good day." Taylor said as she bowed towards Henry.

"You mean the Evil Queen? Of course she wants me to have a good day, then I don't have to tell her what she's doing wrong."

"What do you mean?

"Operation Cobra…." The boy whispered.

Taylor gave him a little wink "Well let's go then."

"Wait, what's that?" he pointed at the brown book, "That's my book!"

"Henry lower your voice a bit… Emma gave it to me so I could give it to you. She couldn't give it to you personally otherwise I lose my job and I have to leave town then."

"But Taylor you cannot leave town, bad things will happen when you do. Just like Kathryn when she wanted to go to Boston, she never reached the place because she cannot leave town. That's the curse!"

"Well then you have to be careful with Emma, I don't wanna leave town either."

They walked towards Taylor's apartment together. Taylor surprised Henry with some hot coco and she took some tea by herself. Alison was working at Granny's so the apartment was all empty in the first place.

"Here you go Henry." She placed the hot coco in front of him with a meaningful smile.

"Thanks…" he took a sip "Have you spoken to Mr. Gold yet?" Henry asked as Taylor took her seat. She hadn't spoken with the man in two weeks. She didn't enter the Pawn Shop afraid by losing her job.

"No… I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks."

"Weeks?!" Henry said placing his cup on the table, "But Taylor…"

"I know Henry. It's not that I don't want to see him, it's difficult."

"You mean my mom is difficult."

And there fell a moment of silence, "You're mom just want me to keep my job."

"Taylor please talk to him, he needs you too. He already lost his true love."

"True love?"

"Yes, you're sister Belle." He said emptying his cup with hot coco.

"Mr. Gold told me a story about her though, and it sounded a bit like your fairytale book. So this Taylor had a sister?"

"You had yes… It's a difficult story. It's in the book if you want to read?"

"You know what Henry? If I may borrow your book for a day, it would be a great honour."

Henry smiled and began to feel amazingly happy. Taylor brought him home, and he ran directly upstairs as usually. Maybe Henry was right, maybe Mr. Gold was a good distraction for her…

Taylor walked into the Pawn Shop, just before dinner. "Mr. Gold?"

Silence.

The shop was empty so she decided to walk into his office, behind the curtains. "Mr Gold…"

"Damn it!" she heard. And she saw the man sitting in the corner of his office, with a bleeding forehead.

"Oh my god, Mr. Gold!"

"Taylor, what are you doing here?"

"Doesn't matter for now, what did you do?"

"The books from the bookshelf… They fell while I was cleaning up. I tripped and... Well it doesn't matter anyway."

Taylor grabbed the first aid box and got the stuff she needed. "Please don't scream or anything." She sprayed something stinging on the wound and bandaged it. Mr. Gold had closed his eyes as it hurt.

"See? All better?" Taylor said helping him up.

"Why didn't you came for all those days…"

Taylor couldn't look him in the eye "I can lose my job by mayor Mills if I visit you. And I cannot work for someone else as Henry really needs the company."

"I have a complicated relationship with that woman."

"I think you have a complicated relationship with everyone here."

"I'm a difficult man to love Taylor."

Taylor took her seat on a chair which stood next to her, "Listen, I don't care what everyone else is saying about you. But people dislike you without even knowing you, how come?"

"I can't explain it Taylor, it needs some time. But for now, what do you think about grabbing some dinner?"

"That sounds amazing Mr. Gold… But no one can know I'm here, I cannot leave Henry all alone with his mom. He's not allowed to meet Emma anymore."

"Emma… Well she's a strong woman, she'll get to Henry anyway. And the dinner? That isn't a problem. We can make some sandwiches here too?"

"That sounds nice… Well alright then." Taylor said smiling at the man who was hated by everyone except for her.

Taylor read Henry's book when she came home, about Belle and Rumplestilskin who was meant to be the beast. And a kid named Taylor. Her character seemed very similar to hers, she could place herself in this other Taylor.

Although she didn't know about the curse, about anything… The end was coming. A man called August brought Emma to all those places so she could 'believe' in magic. But Emma didn't listen, Emma didn't wanted to believe. Until Regina gave her this poisoned apple treat, which she didn't eat. Henry did.