Illusions

Chapter Six

"Ally! There you are," Belle exasperates, tugging a young man behind her as she fights her little body through the massive crowd swarming the usually vacant library. And before the woman makes her way across the room, Emma's inquisitive eyes scope out every inch of the young man's face and she distinctly remembers crashing into that awkward mess at Granny's. "This is my son, Gideon."

"Ah, yes," she smiles politely and immediately thrusts her hand out for him to accept the gesture. "It seems we've sort of already met," she meekly adds on, her face scrunching up playfully as she shrugs one shoulder.

"Right, right," Gideon chuckles softly and happily shakes her hand in a rough and awkward manner that leaves her bobbing up and down like an inflatable advertisement flopping in the wind. "Again, sorry about that."

"It's alright," she waves him off and easily slips out from his clammy grasp.

"When did you two meet?" Belle suddenly chimes in, her curious eyes bouncing between the two.

"Not really met," her son nervously chuckles and anxiously rubs the back of his neck.

"No, no, we accidentally bumped into each other at Granny's. We both seem to have a knack for not paying any attention to our surroundings," she laughs lightly, and it's more than enough to distract mother and son while she takes the time to memorize every detail of his face once again.

"Ah yes, that does sound like my baby," Belle gushes over her son, squeezing him impossibly tight while he burns through various shades of red.

"Well, it's so lovely to finally meet you, your mother has been raving about you," Emma compliments, provoking a rough exhale to escape the man's parted lips like he's almost in pain.

And Emma's been around the block enough to know the many faces of a guilty suspect and this man might as well have a flashing sign smacked across his forehead with his long list of crimes ready for the judge.

"Gideon, my boy," Belle's husband abruptly disrupts the small conversation and slaps his hand against his son's broad chest. "I've been looking for you, mind if I steal him away?"

Belle simply chuckles while Emma flashes her most adorably innocent grin and they watch as Mr. Gold escorts his son away into a corner while discreetly whispering into his son's ear.

"So," Emma decides to continue with a light conversation while her eyes track every move Gold and Gideon make. "It seems this place is really hopping, I mean, I knew it would be great for business, but this," she chuckles, gesturing wildly around the buzzing crowd of people, shoulder to shoulder, but blissfully ignorant to the fact.

"I know," her friend squeals like a small child receiving their first ever bike all while Emma observes Gideon's face draining from all color while his father so very clearly scolds him in hushed murmurs. "I wasn't expecting much of anything, but thank you, Ally, I cannot express how grateful I am."

"So, Ally is sticking, huh? Between you and Ruby," she muses, a childish glint twinkling in her eye, even though she's discretely peering through the older woman to study her family behind her.

"It suits you," she compliments, placing her hand upon Emma's forearm as those crystal eyes sweep to someone of importance waltzing through the door. "Mayor Mills is here, I'm surprised," she sighs heavily, an utter look of sadness washing over her usual chipper features.

Emma peeks over her shoulder to watch as Regina uncomfortably enters the building, with her fingers curling into her son's shoulders along with the blonde, who Emma had originally believed to be Henry's mother.

Now the question is, does this little boy have a father in the picture?

"Why are you surprised? I'm sure Henry would love to carve some pumpkins," she supplies, genuinely intrigued by the woman's comment.