{ storybrooke }

19. { the return }

It was almost nine in the morning. August and Henry had gathered behind some crates on the pier to watch Mr. Gold's shop, which was about to open. August looks down at the much smaller boy with questioning eyes. "You all set? You know what to do?"

Henry beams with pride. "Operation Cobra is always ready," the boy remarks. "I just.."

August unfolds his arms and turns to fully face the kid. "You just what," he asks. Henry admits that he doesn't understand what this plan of theirs got to do with getting his mother Emma to believe. The writer glances at the shop again around the corner of the wooden crate.

"Sometimes other priorities assert themselves," he explains without going into too much detail. "Can you handle a little improvisation?" Henry sounds excited and a little bit like a smart-mouth when he throws the question back at him. "We're a go," the man replies with a grin.

Henry starts running towards the shop while rain was beginning to pour down. In the mean time August watches him. Once the boy was inside he moves towards the back of the shop. While Henry was keeping Mr. Gold busy by asking for a good present for Ms. Blanchard, he breaks into the office by using the back door.

All seemed to go smoothly. He was observing the shelves that were stacked with objects, until he hears a throat being cleared. August swiftly turns around to meet a pair of stern hazel eyes. Winter Black was standing before him with her arms crossed. 

"Can I help you," she asks, though her usual cheery demeanor was toned down quite a lot. August recollects himself and repeats the excuse he had thought of in his head. "Yeah, I'm looking for some maps. I'm a bit of a collector."

Winter's body tenses up. Her eyes narrow down even further, causing a small wrinkle to appear on her forehead. "This is private territory. The shop is through that way," she responds coldly, pointing with her thumb at the curtain that separates the shop from the office.

"I thought this was the entrance," August remarks. He plays dumb, but he was almost certain that Winter was not buying it. "It's not," the girl tells him. She looks over her shoulder at the curtain while not letting him out of her sight. "Mr. Gold! There is someone in here," the girl yells.

Mr. Gold arrives seconds later. He keeps his eyes onto August as well while walking over to Winter. She begins to talk to him in a hushed voice. The pawnbroker then straightens his back and faces August.

"There's maps through in the shop. This is my office," Mr. Gold responds with a chilling intonation to his words. August tries the same excuse of taking the wrong entrance but like Winter, Mr. Gold wasn't buying it either. "Like Winter told you, it's not. The shop is through there," he explains. The older man signs with his free arm to the curtain, leaving no room for the man but to leave.

Against his will August follows Mr. Gold's command and leaves. The pawnbroker quickly scans the shelves for any obvious stolen items. Winter knows for certain that, once the writer was gone, he would take down everything in his office and look in every corner.

Once he was gone Winter returns to the office to find Mr. Gold doing as she thought. The pawnbroker barely looks up from his task as he speaks to her. "I will tell you once again, for your own safety.. stay away from that man. He is nothing but trouble," Mr. Gold tells her, sounding more like a demand than a request.

Winter sighs, but responds quietly. "Yes, Mr. Gold."

●

Madam Mayor storms out of Mr. Gold's shop, almost bumping against a startled Winter. She clutches the paper sack with their lunch against her chest so it would not be crushed by the angry mayor.

Winter walks into the shop with confusion clear on her face. She puts the sack down on the register desk. Mr. Gold begins to unpack whatever was inside, ignoring her stare blatantly.