Dark Hearts | Once Upon A Time

XVii. Mad as a Hatter

Stroybrooke. Present day

IT WAS THE middle of the night when Erica got a call on her cell phone

"Ah shoot, it's work" Erica sighed as she lifted her head off of Rachel's shoulder "I've got to go in. I know we had the plan to spend the night together and I was really looking forward to it but it looks like I have to go"

"Don't worry about it" Rachel smiles reaching forward as she moved hair out of Erica's eyes and rested her palm on the side of her cheek "Duty calls and I get that. We'll just have to do this another night hey?"

"Thank you for being so understanding" Erica says as she kissed Rachel one more time before saying goodbye to her girlfriend who she was going to have a hot chocolate and movie night with to get her mind off what was happening in her life right now but it seemed like they were going to have to put the movie date on pause for a tonight while Erica went and sorted out whatever was so urgent she had to be called into work in the middle of the night

Upon arriving at the station, she saw Mr Gold standing outside presumably waiting for her. With confusion fogging her mind, Erica got out of the car pulling the denim jacket she had shrugged on before she left Rachel's apartment tighter around her body, she raised an eyebrow in the man's direction

"What are you doing here?" She asked

"Same thing as you probably" Mr Gold shrugs

"Do you know why we are here?" She asked him again

"I'll take a guess that it's better to go in and find out" Mr Gold tells her

Erica rolls her eyes but walks into the station anyway, the halls were darks and shadows were dancing off the walls, but it didn't scare Erica as she had walked abandoned schools before, but it did slightly unnerve her and made her more determined to just find out what was wrong and just go home and finish her date with Rachel, but there was a twisting feeling in her stomach that told her that wasn't going to happen, but she wished anyway

"Henry what are you doing here?" Erica asked.when she spotted Henry

Henry was was sitting on a plastic chair, storybook in hand seemingly invested in his book and only looked up when he heard his name and his aunts voice. He took in the confusion on her face and says in confusion "I came to congratulate you"

"For what?" Erica asked him

"Your genius plan" Henry stated, excitedly

"And what plan is that Henry" Mr Gold inquired

Henry looked down and started fidgeting and Mr Gold got the message that he didn't want to speak to his aunt while he was around ands mumbled 'right' and walked further into the station when he was gone Henry turned to his aunt "Sorry I thought Mr Gold was in on it, being Ms Blanchard's lawyer and all that"

"In on what?" Erica asked

"The escape plan" Henry explained

"Sheriff could you join me please?" Mr Gold calls from further in the station and Erica quickly gave a glance at Henry before walking into the main area of the station and was shocked and was staring at the cell that used to hold Mary Margret that was now empty

"Henry what did you do?" Erica snapped at her nephew

"She was gone when I got there" Henry put his hands up in defence

"Her arraignments tomorrow if she's not there--"

"She's a fugitive" Erica finished "It doesn't matter if she's convicted for Kathryn or not. She's screwed. I have to go find here before someone notices she's missing" The blonde continues going into her office and picking up her spare keys off her desk