Baker's Apprentice Who Lives In A Shoe

The Stable Boy

A/N: Here's another chapter. I hope you like it.

Mary Margaret is driven, in the Sheriff's cruiser, by Emma to the arraignment. Mr. Gold and I follow behind, but before we make it to the courthouse I end up falling asleep in the car. I am not awoken until I am driven home after the arraignment. I feel a familiar hand caress my face as I wake up.

"Ava, my love." He whispers. "It's time for you to get to bed." I groan at his words, barely opening my eyes. "Come now, my dear. I am unable to carry you inside like I used to." I sigh heavily before opening my eyes a bit more. I sluggishly get out of the car and follow my love inside. I pause at the bottom of the stairs and start to think about something that Mary Margaret had said at Jefferson's house, before we came back to town.

"Rumple?" I ask to get his attention.

"What is it, my love?" He turns to me.

"Mary Margaret says that this key," I pull the key from my pocket. "Was in her cell. That someone must have put it under her pillow at some point." He comes closer and takes the key from my hand, examining it. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Of course not." He answers. I squint my eyes at him.

"Do not lie to me." I say. I can spot his lies better than anyone else. After all, I have known him longer than everyone else. He meets my gaze and sighs before placing the key in an inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Let me make some coffee for you first. You look like you're going to collapse where you stand, my dear." He turns to the kitchen and I slowly follow him. I watch as he prepares the coffee maker. Carefully, I hop up onto the counter next to the brewer as it quickly pours a single cup. Rumple hands it to me, setting up the machine for an additional cup of Joe, before speaking. "You remember my assault on Mr. French?" I nod at his words as I hold it close to me. "I went to Regina to convince the DA to drop the battery charges against me."

"Okaay." I stretch out the word, waiting for him to continue.

"I offered to help her with her 'Mary Margaret problem'." He put quotes around those last three words with his fingers. "I suggested that something might happen to David's wife, and that Mary Margaret might take the blame." My mouth falls open as he continues to speak. "And to avoid a trial, I suggested that she plant the key in the cell. Both of us believed that she would just leave town and that would be the end of it." He takes the second cup of coffee from the machine.

"And if Jefferson did not get in the way, that would have worked." I take a few sips of my hot beverage before continuing. "That hatter still has his memories, Rumple. He recognized me right away." He frowned at that.

"Regina must have wanted him to suffer. Seeing his own daughter with another family, it must be devastating." He states. I feel my eye lids start to droop again.

"I assume you gave me decaf." I say as I start to yawn. He chuckles before taking the cup from my hands and setting it on the counter.

"Your assumption is correct, my dear." He gestures for me to come down from the counter. I do as he wishes and slide off the counter. "You need to get some rest." As he escorts me up to bed I ask another question.

"What are you planning to do to help Snow?" He pauses in the doorway of the bedroom to think of an answer to give me.

"I'll figure something out, my dear." He says. I sit on the edge of the bed and take off my boots, jeans, and bra, before huddling under the covers. I watch as Rumple collects my discarded clothing and puts them in a hamper in the corner of the room. He then places my boots by the door. As I begin to fade he comes over to me and places a soft kiss on my forehead. "Sleep well. I'll be back later. If you get up and decide to go out, just give me a call, okay?" I nod in response, and I finally fall into a deep sleep.