strange and beautiful (I'll put a spell on you)

Chapter Twenty-One

STORYBROOKE, Maine

Mr. Gold walked down the long hall with Emma Swan, spotting the sheriff's son sitting against a wall with his story book laid out in his lap. The second that Emma saw Henry, the woman's footsteps picked up and soon enough, Mr. Gold was left hobbling on his cane behind her.

"Henry," Emma addressed the boy. "What are you doing here?"

Henry looked over to Emma and smiled. "I came to congratulate you."

Emma was already standing in front of the boy by the time Mr. Gold made it to her side. "For what?" she asked in amusement.

"Your genius plan!" Henry continued to grin.

"And what plan is that, Henry?" Mr. Gold asked as Emma crossed her arms over her chest while looking down at Henry in confusion. Henry blinked, looking back and forth between Mr. Gold and his mother, the older man took the hint and pressed weight down on his cane to move away from the two. "Right," he said before leaving the two alone. But he didn't go too far. He stayed hidden away but in earshot to listen in on the conversation.

"I'm sorry, I thought Mr. Gold was in on it , " Henry said to his mother quietly.

"In on what?"

"The escape plan."

Mr. Gold quickly turned and headed to the holding cells to find that Mary-Margaret was no longer in her cell, the door left wide open and it was now clear that the fugitive was on the run. He smirked. "Sheriff, could you join me, please?" he called out.

His back was facing the entrance but Mr. Gold was sure that when Emma Swan came into the room, her eyes were wide in shock. "She's gone," he said once he sensed he was no longer alone in the room.

"Henry -- what did you do?!" Emma said, hurrying past Mr. Gold to the cell Mary-Margaret had been kept.

"Nothing!" Henry said and when Mr. Gold looked over his shoulder, he saw the young boy had his hands up in the air, trying to show a sign of innocence. "She was gone when I got here."

"Her arraignment is tomorrow. If she's not there..."

"She's a fugitive," Emma stopped him from saying anything further. "Doesn't matter if she's convicted for Kathryn or not, she's screwed!" Emma spun around and walked past Mr. Gold and Henry, panic in her eyes. "I have to go find her before someone notices she's missing."

"Oh, you mean Regina?" Mr. Gold said as he watched Emma step inside the Sheriff's private office.

"The arraignment is at 8:00 AM. I'm sure she'll be here bright and early to celebrate her victory." Emma said back as she shoved things into her bag.

"You have until 8:00 AM then," Mr. Gold said the obvious.

"Uh, what about me?" Henry asked. "How can I help?"

"Go home," Emma instructed her son.

"Emma," Henry began to argue. "If she leaves Storybrooke..."

"Not now, Henry," Emma interrupted him and moved him to leave with her. "Come on," she told him.

Mr. Gold took a few steps to follow after them. "Ms. Swan, I know time is of the essence, but if Ms. Blanchard doesn't return, her future is in jeopardy. And if you're caught helping her, so is yours." Emma looked over to Mr. Gold, standing still in that moment.

"I don't care," she told him. "I'd rather lose my job than my friend."

She didn't say anything else and once she was gone, Mr. Gold smiled before looking over his shoulder at the empty holding cell. He gave into a little chuckle, wondering how Mary-Margaret managed to escape.