Gold

{21}

I RAN after Mary Margaret, as we caught up to Emma. "Hey, is he okay?" Mary Margaret asked Emma, presumably about David. We had just seen him be escorted in the police car after all.

"Oh yeah. He's a little shaken up, but he's fine." Emma said and Mary Margaret visibly relaxed. "Any word from Kathryn?" I asked Emma, and she shook her head. "Nothing new." She told me.

"Did you check with Boston again?" Mary Margaret asked hopefully. I knew she was hoping that Kathryn would turn up. After all, that would make everything easier.

But I had a feeling Kathryn wasn't returning anytime soon. "She's not there, Mary Margaret." Emma said and I sighed.

"So we have no idea what happened to her?" Mary Margaret asked. "All we know is that she found out about you two, gave you a well-deserved slap and then disappeared." Emma said and I winced.

Mary Margaret stopped walking. "Well deserved? Do you really believe that?" Mary Margaret asked, and Emma sighed. "No." She said and I knew she was sort of lying.

"I'm just preparing you for what everyone else is gonna think." Emma said and I nodded. Mary Margaret looked confused. "You two are gonna look bad until we figure the truth out." I told her and she looked shocked.

"You mean David? That people are going to think, in order to be free with me, he.." Mary Margaret trailed off.

"Some are." Emma told her and I knew that one person was probably Regina. I was almost certain she was one of the people behind this. Stuff like this didn't just happen. I felt there was someone orchestrating this all.

"And he's doing himself any favors. So if there's anything you could think of to pin down his whereabouts that night.." Emma trailed off.

"He wasn't with me. We really are through." Mary Margaret said sadly. I glanced up to see Ruby holding a suitcase and talking to Whale.

Probably trying to fend him off more like. "Dr. Whale?" Mary Margaret asked as we walked up. He stiffened as he saw us. "Mary Margaret. Emma. Claire, hello there." He said and Mary Margaret smiled weakly.

"Hey.." She said. Whale glanced over at me. "I heard you and Gold broke up. Is that true?" He asked me and I scoffed. "Yeah, we broke up. And no, I won't go out with you." I said and Ruby smirked.

"I was just having a talk with Ruby here, but I should,." He trailed off, looking at Emma's badge nervously. "Yeah, you should." She told him. He walked off and Emma and I rolled our eyes.

"Was he bothering you?" Mary Margaret asked Ruby. "The day I can't handle a letch is the day I leave town. Which this is, I guess." Ruby said and I glanced back to her small suitcase.

"You're leaving?" Emma asked her. "I had a fight with Granny and quit my job." Ruby said and her eyes were tearful. It looked like she was trying really hard not to cry.

"You quit? Where are you going?" Mary Margaret asked her and I knew what she was going to do.

"I don't know. Away." Ruby told us. "Yeah well, buses out of town don't usually happen. And you might want a destination first." I told her and she looked upset.

"Hey, If you need a place to figure things out, you could always come home with us." Mary Margaret said and Emma shot her a look.

It was going to be very crowded. "Yeah, just for a little while." Emma said, stammering and I nodded.

Ruby smiled at us. "Come on." Mary Margaret said and Emma and I shared a glance as we made our way back to the apartment.