'She killed Graham because he was good - and you're good.'

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by alongdance

by alongdance

(Mr. Gold is covering a piece of cloth with lanolin in the back room of his pawn shop. Emma enters through the front door and calls out for him.)

Emma: Gold! In here?

Mr. Gold: Well, it is my shop.

(Emma enters the back room.)

Emma: Whoa! What is that?

Mr. Gold: Oh, this is lanolin – used for waterproofing.

Emma: It smells like livestock.

Mr. Gold: Well, it is the reason why sheep's wool repels water.

Emma: It stinks. Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department... If you want to talk about that quickly-

Mr. Gold: Yes.

Emma: Or outside...

Mr. Gold: I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really. The Sheriff was a good man. You're still wearing the Deputy's badge. Well, he's been gone two weeks, now, and I believe that after two weeks of acting as Sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real badge.

Emma: Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words.

(Emma goes to leave and exits to the main part of the shop. Mr. Gold follows her.)

Mr. Gold: I have his things.

Emma: What?

(He walks over to a box on the counter.)

Mr. Gold: The Sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake.

Emma: I don't need anything.

Mr. Gold: As you wish. Well, give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family.

Emma: I'm not sure about that.

Mr. Gold: No love lost there, I see. Look, I feel that all of this stuff is headed for the trash bin – you really should take something. Look – his jacket.

Emma: No.

Mr. Gold: Well, look. Your boy might like these, don't you think? You could play together.

(He holds up a pair of walkie-talkies.)

Emma: I don't-

Mr. Gold: No, please. They... They grow up so fast.

Emma: Thanks.

Mr. Gold: You enjoy these with your boy. Your time together is precious, you know? That's the thing about children – before you know it, you lose them.

———–

(Emma meets Celest at Henry's playground castle, bringing the two walkie-talkies with her. She sits down next to her and hands her one.)

Emma: Brought you something. Thought we could use them together for Operation Cobra.

Celest: Thanks.

Emma: Oh, come on! What's up? You've been ducking me for weeks.

Celest: I think we should stop Cobra stuff for a while. You don't play with the curse. Look what happened to Graham.

Emma: Henry, I told you they did an autopsy. It was totally natural causes.

Celest: Okay, whatever. You don't believe – good. That should keep you from messing with it. And getting killed.

Emma: You're worried about me?

Celest: She killed Graham because he was good – and you're good.

Emma: Celest...

Celest: Good loses – good always loses. Because good has to play fair – evil doesn't. She's evil. This is probably best. I don't want to upset her anymore. I'm Already grounded. She could do so much worse

(Celestia gives Emma back the walkie-talkie and leaves.)

———–

(Henry is sitting at a booth in Granny's Diner and reading a newspaper, Celest is sitting Across from him. Emma enters and sits down next to Henry.)

Emma: How was school?

Henry: Okay.

Emma: You're reading that paper pretty hard.

Celest: Sidney wrote it.

(Henry passes Emma the paper. On the front page, there's an article titled 'Ex-Jailbird – Emma Swan birthed babe behind bars'.)

Henry: Is it a lie?

Emma: No.

Celest: he was born in jail?

Emma: Yes. These records were supposed to be sealed. Tell me you're not scarred for life.

Henry: I'm not. Well, not by this.

Emma: Good. Then, let's throw this out and we will get our news from something more reliable. Like the internet.

Henry: This is what I've been trying to tell you – good can't be evil, because good doesn't do this kind of thing. My mom plays dirty – that's why you can't b*at her. Ever.

Emma: I have a new ally. Mr. Gold said he's going to help.

Celest: Mr. Gold? He's even worse than she is. You already owe him one favour. You don't want to owe him any more. Don't do this.

———–

(Regina opens the door and an explosion is set off, setting the next room on fire. Emma and Regina are thrown back from the blast. Regina's ankle is crushed by a piece of debris and is immobilized. Emma frees Regina.)

Emma: Alright, come on – let's go! We got to get out of here.

Regina: I can't move! You have to get me out. Help me!

(Regina and Emma are still in the burning Town Hall. Emma goes to leave, but Regina grabs her arm and stops her.)

Regina: You're going to leave me, aren't you?

(Emma breaks free of Regina's grasp and leaves into the next room that's on fire. Regina tries to get up on her own, but Emma comes back with a fire extinguisher. She gets the fire under control and clears the way to the exit. Regina puts her arm around Emma's shoulder and the two leave the building. Outside, a reporter takes a picture of them leaving and sirens are heard in the background.)

Regina: Oh, ow, ow! My ankle! Set me down gently!

Emma: Seriously? You're complaining about how I saved your life?

Regina: The firemen are here. It's not like we were really in danger.

Emma: Fine. Next time I'll just... I'll just... Ah, you know what? Next time, I'll do the same thing. And the time after that because that is what decent human beings do. That's what good people do.

(Emma walks away from Regina. By the f*re truck, Henry is talking with a firefighter.)

Henry: Did Emma really rescue our mom?

(Regina is on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. She overhears Henry and throws off the mask in anger.)

Regina: Enough!

Paramedic: Regina.

Regina: I'm fine.

(Sidney runs up to Regina with a camera and takes a picture.)

Sidney: Nice shot of the victim?

Regina: Sidney? What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to hand this election to her?

Sidney: But it's news.

Regina: She's the competition, you fool.

(Emma and various people from town are talking in a group.)

MMB: Did you really rescue Regina?

Henry: She did! The fireman said it. They saw it.

Ruby: You are a hero.

MMB: We should see if they have a picture of the rescue.

Granny: We could make campaign posters.

Archie: Oh, people would love that! That's a great idea. Wait, so...

(The group walks away, leaving Emma and the kids alone.)

Emma: This is how good wins. You do something good and people see it, and then they want to help you.

Celest: Maybe you're right.

Emma: You see, Henry? We don't have to fight dirty.

(In the pile of debris, Emma notices the same fabric that Mr. Gold was preparing in his shop when she spoke with him.)

———–