04. { the price of gold }

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It was already dark outside with the only light coming from the street lanterns. Mr. Gold was strolling over the sidewalk with one hand on his cane and the other linked with Winter's arm. The two just came back from a rather uncomfortable dinner at Granny's Diner.

Most of the people in Storybrooke liked the brunette teenager, but everyone feared her guardian. He possesses the gift to make almost every atmosphere unpleasant and tense, including what should be a casual dinner between guardian and child. 

"How long will you be in the shop," Winter questions. She still had homework to do when they reach home and didn't want to be up too late to finish it.

Mr. Gold glances at her sideways and smiles comfortingly. "But a moment, dearie. I just need to pick something up from the shop and we will be on our way again."

The brunette nods quietly. She bites her lip and looks down at her feet. "Perhaps I can walk home already and get a start on my schoolwork?"

It was a fair suggestion if you asked the teen, but Mr. Gold shakes his head fervently. "No, walking home all alone in the dark is dangerous. Besides, we're almost there." He points with his cane to the shop that was on the corner of the street. A few moments later they arrived in front of the shop.

Mr. Gold hands the key to the building to Winter. She gently put the key inside the keyhole when she notices that the window pane above the doorhandle was smashed. 

"Mr. Gold? I.. think someone broke in," she whispers softly. Mr. Gold quickly joins her side in front of the door and leers through the windows. He notices a familiar blonde head venturing between the shelves that were stacked with antiques. "Not broke in, but is breaking in," he seethes.

Winter feels a shiver run over her spine at hearing his tone of voice. It was a voice he never used with her as far as she could remember, but that she heard far too often when others make him angry.

He grabs her wrist painfully and pulls her behind him. His dark eyes narrow on her and he points a finger at her face sternly. His point was clear.

"Stay behind me," he commands before he creeks the door open to make as little sound as possible. 

The man slowly sneaks in, careful to avoid all the floorboards that were known to make noise, followed by the teenage girl's light footsteps.

The blonde haired woman had her back turned to them and was standing by a painting that hangs on the wall behind the cash register. When she turns the painting as if it were a page of a book, it reveals one of Mr. Gold's safes.

"Ashley, what are you doing," Mr. Gold asks, making his presence known and catching the blonde woman by surprise. Ashley's eyes shift from Mr. Gold to the girl behind him and back. "Changing my life," she says. 

Now having turned around Winter could see her swollen stomach. She was heavily pregnant. But she wonders what any of this had to do with her guardian.

Of course she was aware of his deals and contracts, but what could her guardian have agreed on with this woman? Because, Winter was quite certain that Mr. Gold would never enter an amorous relationship with anyone, especially not with a woman this young.

Ashley takes a step forward and lifts her left hand. Before Mr. Gold or Winter could react, she was spraying pepper spray into Mr. Gold's eyes.

The man was screaming out in pain, clawing at his eyes. Disorientated, he stumbles backwards and hits a cabinet. He lost his balance and fell forward, thereby hitting his head on the corner of a table.

Winter watches in terror how his body fell to the ground and remains there motionlessly. She couldn't do anything as she was frozen in shock. "W-what did you do," she asks Ashley. 

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