Gold

{22}

I PLACED my hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp. There was an actual human heart sitting inside of an oddly familiar box, right on top of Emma's desk.

Ruby continued to shake and I glanced to Emma who looked shocked. She immediately grabbed a pair of gloves and walked towards the heart, and I commended her for her bravery. I stayed back and grabbed onto Ruby's hand.

"Is it.. what I think it is?" Ruby asked, walking closer slowly. "Yeah." Emma says grimly and Ruby turns away abruptly. "I can't look." She said and I met Emma's eyes.

I knew what she was wondering, and that was whose heart was in that box? I had a feeling we both knew exactly whose heart it was. Emma quickly closed the box and stepped back.

"Are you Okay?" Emma asked Ruby, who looked like she might cry once again. "I don't know what I am." She said and sat down. "It's gonna be alright. We can figure out what happened now." Emma tried to assure Ruby.

"Ruby you did good." Emma said and Ruby turned to the both of us with tears in her eyes. "This.. is doing good?" She asked and Emma nodded. "Yeah it's amazing. First you found David and now this. I know you say you don't know what you are, but whatever it is, I'm impressed." Emma says and Ruby chuckles a little.

"Don't be. I was scared out of my mind." Ruby protests. "But you did it anyway." Emma says and I nod and grab onto Ruby's hand. "And that's what's important." I assure her and she smiles at me.

TIME SKIP(straight to the next day at afternoon).

I walked into Granny's to see Ruby standing behind the counter once again, but this time she seemed much more sure of herself. I smiled at her as she walked towards me. "Claire, hey. Any news?" She asked me. I knew she was wondering about the heart we found. Emma was currently having it tested to see whose it was.

"Not yet, but I promise I'll let you know when we find something out." I told her and she glanced at something behind me. "What?" I asked her and turned to see Whale standing behind me.

"Whale!" I exclaimed, a little shocked. We hadn't talked since yesterday when we agreed to be friends, or whatever that entails. He smiled at me and sat down beside me. "Hello, Claire. What brings you here?" He asked me and I sighed. "Well, lets just say I had a stressful day yesterday and I needed to unwind." I informed him.

He smirked at me. "And just how were you planning on doing that?" He asked me and I gestured towards Ruby. "With a drink, of course. Ruby can I have a beer?"
I asked her and she nodded.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked me and I smiled. I didn't know why I was smiling at Whale so much, maybe it was because he was a distraction from all the things going wrong in my life. And he might help me forget about Gold, just for a moment.

So I nodded. "I'd like that." I told him and he smiled at me, very brightly this time. Ruby came back with the drinks and I thanked her. "So, Dr. Whale, what brought about this change? Not that I mind, of course, you're much more likable now." I said and he grinned.

"Well, I figured being an insensitive lady's man was not the best way to actually attract a woman." He told me and I nodded. "True. So now I suppose you have a new strategy?" I asked him, subtly shifting towards him.

I didn't know what I was going to do, maybe I just needed something at this moment. Something to make me forget the aching of my heart. Whale noticed my shift and looks me up and down. "Yes, I'm trying a new thing called being a gentleman, yet you're making it quite hard to maintain." He said and I blushed.

"Who says it has to be maintained?" I asked him and he raised his eyebrows. I stood up and threw a bill on the counter. "Where are you going?" Whale asked me, standing up as well.