Gold

{28}

I STOOD beside Emma and Mary Margaret as August finished fixing the apartment door. I still didn't trust him since the incident with Gold, but Emma and Mary Margaret didn't knew about that, so I had to pretend to. I also wanted to keep my eye on him.

"Wow, when are you installing the torture chamber?" Emma joked. The door did look strangely medieval with the wooden deadbolt. "You don't like it? I call it medieval chic." August joked. "I don't care what it looks like as long as it keeps Regina and her skeleton keys out." Mary Margaret said and I snickered.

"This is pretty handy for a writer. Where did you learn how to do all this?" Emma asked and I glanced at August curiously, waiting for his answer. I still didn't know who he really was, but I was sure Gold had some idea. "Woodshop. Eighth grade." He replied. Yeah right, I thought to myself.

"Oh, speaking of school, Claire and I have to get going." Mary Margaret piped up and I jumped, completely forgetting about school. I'd resumed teaching since we'd figured out the case with Mary Margaret.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Emma asked Mary Margaret, who chuckled. "After a stint behind bars, how tough can a room full of fourth graders be?" Mary Margaret asked, filling a mug with coffee. "Besides aren't you the one we should be worried about?" I piped up, referring to the fact that Emma claimed she was taking Henry from Regina.

"Me? Why?" Emma asked and August smirked. "Well, you did threaten to take Henry away from Regina." August piped up. "Oh that wasn't a threat. I'm hiring Mr. Gold to help build a case against her." Emma said and I choked on my coffee.

"You're hiring my fiancé to defend you in a custody case?" I asked her incredously and she glanced back at me. "Yeah, what's wrong?" She asked and I sighed. "I don't know if he'll agree to it." I said doubtfully. "Well, he's your fiancé. Maybe you can convince him." Emma said and I looked down at my coffee mug. "Maybe." I said, not wanting to promise anything.

I knew Gold, and I also knew he probably wasn't going to defend Emma in this case. He seemed to be the type to pick his battles, and as much as I loved my niece, I didn't think she had too much of a chance at winning.

"But you do know what happens if you win?" Mary Margaret asked Emma. "Yeah." Emma told her.

"And you're ready? To be his mom?" Mary Margaret asked Emma. "Yeah." Emma said and I felt a sense of pride fill me. Emma had definitely changed since we first met. Mary Margaret seemed to be thinking the same thing as she smiled at her.

I followed after after Mary Margaret and grabbed my coat and purse. I slung it over my shoulder and left the apartment.

I made my way to the school beside Mary Margaret. We stood outside and watched as the kids filed into the building. Mary Margaret had a smile on her face the entire time. Until we heard the clacking of heels on the cement. I looked over to see Regina walking towards us.

I rolled my eyes. "Ms. Blanchard. Miss Carter." She greeted and I scoffed. I guess she wasn't going to address the conversation we'd had where I'd revealed I knew who I really was, and who she really was.

"I see you're back." She said to Mary Margaret. "Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Everything worked out." Mary Margaret said happily. Regina seemed to compose herself and then looked down at the cement. "Henry forgot his lunch. Have you seen him?" She asked.

"He's with his mother." Mary Margaret said suddenly and Regina turned back to us in record speed. She looked surprised at the tone Mary Margaret was using, as was I.

"Ms. Blanchard, is there a problem?" She asked. "Not anymore. Though someone did go through a lot of trouble to make it look like I had done something horrible." Mary Margaret said and Regina stared at her.

"But they failed." Mary Margaret added. "Yes. Sidney Glass. Who's safely incarcerated." Regina said and I glanced at Mary Margaret. She didn't seem to believe it either. I should've known Regina had a scapegoat.

"If it was Sidney." I said, sending her a glare. "Well, ask your roommate. He confessed." Regina said, looking at me and Mary Margaret. "Of course he did." Mary Margaret told her. "Are you insinuating something?" Regina asked.

"Yes I am. But I forgive you. Even if you can't admit what you did, I forgive you anyway." Mary Margaret said and I watched Regina's face carefully. She seemed to be shocked and upset as she looked at Mary Margaret. "Your life must be filled with such incredible loneliness if your only joy comes from destroying everyone else's happiness. It's so sad, Mayor Mills. Because despite what you think, it won't make you happy. It's only going to leave a giant hole in your heart." Mary Margaret told her.

She turned to walk away and I followed after her. "There's Henry now." Mary Margaret said as Henry walked up to Regina.

"I can't believe you forgave her." I said as we walked into the school hallway. "She's just lonely and for some reason, she took it out on me. That doesn't mean I can't forgive her." Mary Margaret told me and I shrugged. "I guess. I just don't know how you do it." I told her. What I really didn't say was that I knew why Regina had done what she did. Even if I didn't agree with it, she still had her reasons. I tried to banish the thoughts from my mind as I said goodbye to Mary Margaret.

I went to teach my class, as did she. The rest of the school day passed quickly. Soon it was over and I was making my way to Golds shop. As I walked down the street though, I saw something that had me stopping in my tracks.

David was leaned down looking at the hood of Regina's car, while Regina stood beside him. What was she up to now? I watched in disbelief as Regina climbed into David's truck and they drove off. What was David doing? I guessed he didn't know that Regina framed Mary Margaret, but still.

I shook my head and walked into Golds shop. He was behind the desk when I walked in. "I've just seen something very disturbing." I told him as I walked towards him. He grinned. "And what's that?" He asked me. "Regina climbing into David's truck." I told him and he snickered.

"Regina really will stop at nothing." He remarked and I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean? You think she planned her car breaking down?" I asked him. He gave me a look. "Of course she did. It's Regina. I guess she's so upset about not getting Mary Margaret jailed that she wants to go after her companion." Gold told me.

I didn't even pretend to be shocked. At this point, there was nothing that could shock me. "Well, David seems to have taken the bait." I remarked, rolling my eyes. "Ooh, still not fond of Charming I see?" Gold asked me and I glanced at him.

"What, David and I didn't get along in the Enchanted Forest?" I asked and he nodded. "What did he do?" I asked him. "He helped Cinderella lock me up. And him and Snow brought you to their castle after and didn't let you see me but once." Gold replied and I sighed. "I guess that explains why I don't really like him now. I can't believe Mary Margaret wouldn't let me see you though." I told him.

"Not Mary Margaret. Snow. They are definitely two different people." He told me and I nodded. "I guess that's true." I said, then grabbed his hand. "I'm guessing she didn't really approve of our relationship then?" I asked him and he sighed. "The only person who approved of our relationship was us, dearie." He told me.

"I guess that's still true, but I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love you." I told him and he smiled. "And I love you." He told me and I kissed him passionately. "What was that for?" He asked me with a smirk as I pulled away. "I just love you." I told him with a smirk of my own. "Oh yeah? How about we.." he trailed off as I launched myself towards him again.

Little did I know that later as Gold and I slept, Emma was making her way from Storybrooke, with Henry in the passenger seat.