The Price of Gold
Emma walked Henry to the school bus, confidently striding through the streets of Storybrooke, no longer hiding. Henry, still carrying the torch of Operation Cobra, had a question about codenames.
"Are you sure we're allowed to be out in the open?" Henry asked, concerned.
Emma chuckled, "Hey, no more sneaking around. If your mom has a problem with me walking you to the bus, I'm more than happy to have that chat."
"You're brave. We need that for Operation Cobra," Henry praised his mom. "Speaking of, do you think we need codenames?"
Emma appreciated her son's admiration but also wanted him to respect his mother. "Isn't Cobra a codename?"
"That's the mission. I mean us," Henry clarified, searching for an appropriate codename for his mother. "I need something to call you."
Emma was taken aback. She wasn't sure what name she'd be comfortable with him using, except for "mom," but that was too complex right now. "Oh! Um... Why don't you just... call me Emma for now?"
Henry looked a bit disappointed for a moment, but then his face lit up. "Well, OK then. See you later, Emma."
As Henry got in line for the bus, Emma was left standing on the sidewalk feeling a bit odd.
A sheriff's car pulled up next to her. She paused, ready to cross the street to the high school, and asked, "What's with the siren?"
The sheriff got out of the car and approached her. "It's so hard to get your attention."
Emma chuckled. "What's this? Are you arresting me again?"
He shook his head. "I'm thanking you for your help finding that coma patient. We all owe you a debt of gratitude."
Emma grinned, teasing, "So what do I get, a commendation? Key to the city?"
The sheriff considered her for a moment. "How about a job? I could use a deputy."
Emma hesitated and explained, "Thank you, but I have a job."
The sheriff questioned her job choice. "As a part-time high school sociology teacher? How far have you fallen from Head of the Social Sciences at Boston College, Dr. Swan?"
She laughed, "Well, I'm not so sure a deputy uses my skill sets."
The sheriff persisted, "You'd be surprised. You can try it on a part-time basis; that way, you'll have one full-time job. There's dental?"
Emma chuckled at his offer and noticed him pulling out a card. "Why don't you think about it? And stick around for a while."
Dr. Swan couldn't help but consider the offer as she thought about it, watching Ruby walk away in her distinctive attire, appreciating her beauty.
Dr. Swan was going to think about it. she sure was. She headed back to the diner and sat in the corner by the window. She asked Ruby for a hot chocolate and watched as the Burnette walked away in her little short shorts. Damn, Ruby was hot.
Ruby returned with the hot cocoa, setting it in front of Emma. "Thank you, Ruby," Emma said, then watched her walk away again. She dipped her finger in the whipped cream, savoring its sweetness. Just then, the door of the establishment swung open, and Regina approached Emma's table.
"How was your walk with Henry?" Regina inquired, her tone tinged with curiosity. Emma met her gaze but remained silent, waiting to see what Regina had in store. Regina sat down, her presence casting a new dynamic over the scene. "That's right, I know everything," she added, her eyes locked on Emma.
Emma felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Regina was a formidable opponent, far more intriguing than the cocoa. "Relax, I don't mind," Regina said, her words catching Emma off guard.
"You don't?" Emma replied, her curiosity piqued.
Regina acknowledged Emma's correction, addressing her as Dr. Swan. She continued, "You see, I did a little digging into who you are, and what I found was quite soothing." Emma maintained her composure, eager to understand Regina's game plan. Regina seemed intent on hurting Emma in some way, and Emma aimed to anticipate her moves.
As the conversation delved into Emma's transient lifestyle, she knew that breaking the curse hinged on true love's kiss. This woman in front of her held the key, but Emma wasn't about to reveal that just yet. She had to gain Regina's trust, and getting under her skin seemed like a good way to start.
Regina's smug remark about the number seven prompted Emma to smirk. "Seven?"
Regina explained, "Is the number of addresses you had in the last decade. The longest stint anywhere was two years." Her smirk grew.
Emma responded confidently, "If you were wondering, I did find a place here in town." Regina seemed to underestimate Emma, thinking she'd grow tired of her mother quickly.
Regina's demeanor shifted, her tone less menacing. "Doctor Swan, it needs roots. And you don't have any." She suggested that people don't change, merely fool themselves into believing they can.
Emma countered, "You don't know me."
"No, I think I do." Regina shifted again her tone less menacing. "All I ask is as you carry on your transient life, you think of Henry and what's best for him." maybe you should just leave before he gets too attached. Enjoy your Coco."
Regina left the table, leaving Emma to contemplate their encounter.
Emma let out a deep sigh, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, as she stood up from the table, her cocoa-stained clothes a mess. "Oh, geez," she muttered to herself. But her eyes lit up when she saw Ruby approaching.
"Hey, Rubes, do you have a laundry room I can use?" Emma inquired with a hopeful smile.
Ruby nodded and led the disheveled blonde to the laundry room. As they entered, Emma noticed one of her students in distress, her tears falling onto stained sheets.
"Hey, you OK?" Emma asked, her maternal instincts kicking in.
The student looked up with a troubled expression. "The sheets, they are pink," she explained, her pregnant belly prominent.
Emma groaned, realizing the source of the problem. "Last night I felt contractions, and the doctor said the baby could come any day now, so that's great. It's just that when the baby comes, no one thinks that I can do this. No one thinks I can do anything. Maybe they're right."
Emma's response was firm and supportive. "Screw them."
The girl seemed taken aback by Emma's bluntness. "What?"
Emma repeated, her voice resolute, "Screw. Them. How old are you?"
The student replied, "19."
"I was 17," Emma disclosed, folding her arms in front of her. She couldn't help but reflect on her own journey, the struggles she faced, and the choices she made. "When you had a kid?"
"Yeah," the girl responded, her eyes filled with uncertainty.
Emma continued, her voice filled with determination, "I know what it's like. Everyone likes to tell you what you can or cannot do, especially with a kid. But ultimately, whatever you're considering doing or giving up, the choice is yours."
The student hesitated, her emotions running deep. "It's not exactly what you might think it is."
Emma empathized with the girl's inner turmoil. "It never is," she stated. She knew she was speaking to herself as much as to the girl, wrestling with doubts sown by Regina. Emma was determined to fight the doubts and uncertainties. "People are gonna tell you who you are your whole life; you just gotta punch back and say, 'No, this is who I am.' Want people to look at you differently? Make them. Do you want to change things? You're going to have to go out there and become yourself because there are no fairy godmothers in this world."
The pep talk Emma gave to the girl was exactly what she needed to regain her own determination. She wasn't going to let Regina define her or dictate her life. She was Dr. Emma Swan, and nobody could take that away from her. Emma left the laundry room with newfound resolve, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead and to consider Graham's job offer, determined to show Regina that she wouldn't be defined by anyone but herself.
Every confrontation with Emma left Regina feeling a strange mix of frustration and arousal. The way Emma challenged her, her intelligence and her capabilities were infuriating yet intriguing. Regina couldn't help but notice that beneath the sharp-tongued exterior, there was a depth of character that she hadn't anticipated. She also saw a hint of where her son, Henry, had inherited his determination and smarts.
On that particular Saturday morning, Regina was scheduled to meet with Graham at Granny's, and she found herself looking forward to it. Her desire for Graham wasn't physical, but this interaction was a means to an end, a complex form of satisfaction that was mutually beneficial, much like her magic-induced encounters with him.
Regina stood in front of the hallway mirror, getting ready for the day. She spoke to Henry as she applied lipstick and checked her appearance, her voice calm and controlled, "I know you think otherwise, but I don't enjoy these Saturday council meetings. Sometimes they're just unavoidable." Her thoughts shifted back to her impending meeting with Graham. "Now, you know the rules?"
Henry put down his comic book and looked up at his mother, nodding in understanding. "Yes, on homework, no on TV, and stay inside."
"Good boy," Regina praised him, walking towards her son. She gently caressed his cheek, her touch tender yet laden with a hint of authority. She then lifted his chin to make sure he was paying attention. "Under no circumstances do you leave this house."
Henry met his mother's gaze, showing the seriousness in his eyes. "You mean, don't see my mom."
Regina's tone turned slightly icy as she corrected him, "She's not your mother." Her frustration was palpable as she stood up. "She's just a woman passing through. Now, do as I say, or there will be consequences."
With that warning, Regina turned away and left the house in a swirl of anger. Over her shoulder, she added, "I'll be back at five sharp." She got into her car and drove to the B&B, her thoughts consumed with the enigmatic blonde who had turned her world upside down.
Gold's unexpected visit to Snow and Emma's new apartment had caught Emma off guard. He sought her assistance as a social anthropologist and a finder to locate a young, pregnant woman named Ashley Boyd. Emma couldn't help but feel emotionally pulled by Gold's plea, emphasizing Ashley's delicate situation. She reluctantly agreed to help, compelled by the desire to be a modern-day fairy godmother.
As they discussed this, Henry walked into the room and spotted Mr. Gold. He looked alarmed and approached his mother, inquiring, "Do you know who that is?"
Emma replied confidently, "Yeah, of course I do. That is Rumplestiltskin."
Henry was still puzzled and asked, "But what was he doing here?"
"Asking for a favor. For a change," Emma explained, juggling her belongings as she continued to unpack.
Henry, eager to spend time with his mother, mentioned that Regina was away, and he hoped they could hang out. However, Emma had to decline his request, explaining that she had something important to do.
"Pleased let me help!" Henry pleaded, hoping to be a hero alongside his Savior mother.
Emma hesitated, knowing the potential danger of the situation. She emphasized that the pregnant woman they were looking for had assaulted Mr. Gold and was desperate.
"Fine, let's go!" Henry said, determined to be part of the adventure.
Emma was feeling conflicted. She was doing her best to maintain a positive relationship with Regina and not step on her toes when it came to Henry. Despite being Regina's son, Henry insisted on being with Emma. Unable to turn him away, she agreed, and they set off together.
When Emma learned that Rumplestiltskin wanted Ashley's baby, she changed her approach. In her eyes, anyone who wanted to be a mother should have that chance.
Henry, her ever-supportive son, smiled at this change in tactics. He knew his mom wouldn't allow Ashley to lose her baby. After their visit to the B&B, Emma confronted Ruby with a pressing question. "Why didn't you tell me she sold the baby?"
Ruby, focused on her work, replied, "I didn't think it was important."
Emma was taken aback. "Oh really? Considering that's why she was running away."
Ruby defended her friend, Ashley. "Ashley is my friend; I don't like the idea of people judging her."
But as Emma glanced at Ruby's wolf, she realized that Ruby had been trying to protect her. She urged Ruby not to let Ashley deal with Gold alone and tried to explain the urgency of the situation. Ruby hesitated, citing Henry's presence as a reason she couldn't discuss it. Emma knew she had to send her son home for the mission to proceed, even though it meant missing out on time with him.
As they approached the town border, Henry, in his usual determined fashion, appeared behind Emma, asking where they were going. Emma tried to persuade him to go home, but Henry argued that Emma couldn't leave because Regina wouldn't allow it.
Henry convinced Emma that they needed to go to the border to make sure Ashley was okay, as there was no time to drop him off at home. When they reached the border, they found Ruby's car abandoned in a ditch, and Ashley was in labor.
Emma rushed the young, pregnant mother to the hospital, assuring her that she wouldn't let Gold take her baby. In the car, she had a heart-to-heart with Ashley, questioning her readiness for motherhood and the sacrifices it entailed. Ashley was determined and wanted to keep her baby, and Emma supported her decision.
Maybe his mom was more than just an evil queen. Maybe she was more than just a villain. But his mom, his Emma… she was everything. He fell in love with his birth mom that day. Because she could leave, she wasn't like everybody else. Except she stayed, and she stayed for him. That was love, he thought. Any thought of the perfect code name for Emma. His Ma.
When he arrived home, just in the nick of time, his heart was filled with boundless energy and love for the mother who had stayed for him.
Regina had a delightful Saturday afternoon. Her regular meetings with Sheriff Graham had a particular allure to them, often filled with moments of intense pleasure. Graham was the perfect companion in many ways - he possessed striking good looks, maintained a strong, athletic physique, and was just the right size to satisfy her desires.
However, as Regina went about her day, she found herself lost in contemplation about a particular blonde individual. Putting aside those present in her life at the moment, this blonde was an alluring figure, exuding a captivating combination of physical beauty and athletic prowess. Regina couldn't help but acknowledge the attraction she felt, the way this blonde's form seemed to be a perfect match to fulfill her deepest desires.
During the moments when her mind wandered, Regina couldn't help but ponder how she might approach the enigmatic Savior. She longed to share more intimate moments, to taste the forbidden fruit that was Emma Swan, and to offer her own tantalizing experiences in return. However, the reality was that every time she attempted to engage the blonde, her approach often came off as confrontational. Regina's insecurities played a part in her less-than-subtle approach, stemming from the fear that the blonde might not reciprocate her feelings. Regina was wrestling with the notion of rekindling her son's affection while navigating the complex territory of her own desires.