Dreaming Out Loud

Falsehoods

Chapter 21: Falsehoods

"David...I really don't think this is necessary," Mary protested, as she sat in the exam room.

"We don't know that. I just want to make sure you didn't hit your head or something when you fainted," he replied. Stephanie smiled.

"He's right to be concerned, Mary," she agreed, as the raven haired beauty huffed and rolled her eyes. It made David take a stifled breath, as she looked exactly like their daughter in that moment. Whale made his entrance and was already exasperated.

"Sorry for the wait, but as you can imagine, I've been busy," Whale mentioned, as he looked at her chart.

"If you're not family, then you'll kindly leave while examine my patient," Whale said flippantly.

"David is my family and so is Stephanie. I want them here," Mary replied. The doctor sighed and was too tired to protest, as he conducted a physical.

"Well, despite fainting, you appear to be fine. I don't see any lesions or bruises so I think your fall was harmless. If you feel any pain or dizziness, you should come back immediately. Otherwise, I don't see a reason for you to stay," Whale said, as he scribbled on her chart, before leaving.

"See...I'm fine," she said. He chuckled and put his arm around her.

"Then how about dinner at Granny's? You're welcome to join us, Stephanie," he said. She smiled.

"That sounds wonderful," she agreed. Mary sighed.

"Maybe we can get to shopping tomorrow. Let's check on Belle too before we go," she suggested.

"Of course," he agreed, as they headed out.

The jail cell door closed with a chink and she sighed, as she dropped the file on his desk.

"I need to get out of here and see Belle," Gold growled.

"You know I can't let you go after you lost it on Mr. French," Emma replied.

"What about what he did?!" Gold spat.

"Believe me, I'll be bringing him in too after he's released from the hospital for pulling a knife on Mary Margaret and Belle," she said.

"You need to stop playing by the rules, Miss Swan, because I assure you Regina will not," he warned. She sighed.

"You know I have to. I may have been elected, but if I give her a legitimate reason, she can still fire me. Then we'll really be no where," she warned. Gold was silent, loathed to admit that she had a point.

"So...Moe French. He's Belle's father?" Emma asked.

"Of sorts, though he's not a model version of one, but then neither was I. We can't all be your father, I suppose," Gold mused.

"What did he do to her?" the blonde asked.

"It's a very long, sordid story. But suffice to say, he had a certain vision of who his daughter should be and Belle had other ideas. Back in our land, Lord Maurice sought to marry her off to Gaston, who in turn would provide his army to defeat the ogres that were terrorizing their land," he explained.

"Gaston...of course. Is he as terrible as the stories made him out to be?" Emma asked.

"More or less...Belle certainly didn't want to marry him so I stepped in and killed all the ogres," he replied. Emma smiled.

"So you saved her," she surmised.

"No...I don't do anything without charging a price and so I took her prisoner. She became my maid," he responded and Emma frowned.