A/N: Sorry it's been forever! I kind of lost inspiration for this but then I got this idea and kept writing and writing. So hopefully it just keeps coming to me. Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Let me know if you do! Leave a review!
By the way, the song used in here is We Belong Together by Ritchie Valens.
Chapter 13: Desperate Souls
Anne walked down the sidewalk in the light of the evening sun. As a chilly breeze swept through the street, she buried her hands in the pockets of her black overcoat, and tucked her chin and lips into her grey scarf. With the bottom half of her face concealed, she glanced around the town. Businesses were just closing and everyone was preparing to go home. Things around town were just seeming to return to normal, after such the devastating loss of the beloved Sheriff Graham. People were smiling more and the grief was slowly wearing off, rather than hanging over the town like a dense cloud.
Anne sighed as her own sadness over the town's sheriff and friend twinged in her heart. Looking up and returning from the thoughts in her head, Anne saw a friendly elderly man ahead of her.
"Have a good night, Miss Anne," Marco said with a smile as he approached her on the other side of the sidewalk. Anne beamed her friendly smile and nodded.
"Thank you, Marco. You as well," she spoke kindly before they passed each other going their own ways. And so went the rest of her walk home, bidding everyone that she passed goodnight.
Anne was nearly home, she just had two more blocks, when a figure came around a corner and nearly ran into her.
Anne gasped in surprise and the other dark haired woman looked at her with surprise.
"Mary Margaret!" Anne exclaimed, shaking her head as a smile slowly appeared on her lips. "What did I ever do to you?"
Mary Margaret laughed and shook her head at her beautiful blonde friend.
"You got between me and my comfortable home," she answered lightheartedly. "I had to stay late at the school, and my bed and a nice cup of hot chocolate has been calling my name."
Anne laughed with Mary Margaret, and in unison they both turned towards their apartments and resumed walking. As they walked closely down the sidewalk, Anne looped an arm through her friend's and the two walked arm in arm.
"How was your day?" Mary Margaret asked, looking sideways at Anne. Despite a smile on her lips, Anne turned to her friend and cringed.
"Alright...I guess," she answered half heartedly. Mary Margaret smirked and gave her a look. "Alright, it was long and boring. I only had a couple orders to fill and then it was mostly an uneventful day."
"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret said in a very sincere voice, softly patting Anne's hand with her own. "Did...did you see Gold today?"
Anne felt a blush begin to form in her cheeks, and she glanced sideways at her friend.
"Briefly this morning. He brought me breakfast after my run, but we weren't able to talk for very long," she answered in a soft voice. Mary Margaret had to smile at the way Anne stared at the ground in front of them, a tiny smile playing on her lips as she spoke. Even if her friend was involved with the most dangerous person in town, even surpassing Regina, Mary Margaret was happy that she was happy.
"So everything is...good so far?" Mary Margaret ventured. Anne turned to her friend and gave her a pointed look as they continued walking. But Mary Margaret just looked at her innocently and curiously. With a soft smile and roll of her eyes, Anne turned to face ahead again, only to see their apartment complex coming up.
"I can't explain it. I feel like I've known him forever, and..." Anne paused and smiled at the ground. "Everything is familiar; the butterflies, the smiles...I'm...very comfortable with him. Despite what others say, I feel completely safe and loved when I'm with him," Anne said with a small laugh as she realized she was rambling on like a love struck teenager. "So...yes, everything is fine...better than fine actually," Anne added with a smirk, making Mary Margaret's brows shoot to her hairline.
"Just how serious is—"
"Not what you have running through your mind, I assure you," Anne interrupted with a laugh.
"Do you love him?" Mary Margaret asked almost before Anne had even completely finished answering her first question.
Anne's gaze snapped to her friend, her smile slowly falling and her mouth hanging open, on the verge of an answer. Anne reached out and grasped the doorknob of the door to their apartments, but paused as her mind mulled over the question.
"I...I feel that I do..." Anne began, hesitantly. "But...I feel like everything has moved too fast for love to have formed in such little time. And yet, here it is in my heart. It's just an odd feeling...like this love has always been there, dormant."
Mary Margaret frowned slightly as she listened.
"When you say it's moved too fast...you don't mean..."
Anne gaped at her friend.
"No!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. But then she began remembering the long kisses filled with passion. "Well...I suppose it could have gone that far a couple times, but it didn't. He would never...if I didn't want to, and I don't think we're ready for that."
Anne watched her friend nod, accepting her answer.
But Mary Margaret didn't seem convinced about Gold's intentions, rather she had a worried look on her face.
Anne smiled tightly and opened the door to the apartment complex. As they stepped into the building, the sound of blaring music assaulted their ears. Both woman looked up the stairs towards Mary Margaret's loft.
Anne and Mary Margaret glanced at each other with furrowed brows. And quickly, the two moved up the stairs.
The sight that met Anne's eyes as Mary Margaret opened her door made her mouth drop open, and she paused in the doorway for a moment as Mary Margaret went to shut off the blaring speaker.
There stood Emma in the kitchen, prying open a shiny toaster with a knife. Her hair was a curly mess pulled back into a ponytail and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Beside her on the kitchen counter was a half empty whiskey bottle.
Thanks to Mary Margaret, the music shut off and Anne finally stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind her as Mary Margaret took of her coat.
"Knock knock," Anne's accented voice sang, making Emma look back with a glare. In normal circumstances, it would have been more of a playful glare since Anne was only trying to lighten the dark mood in the room. But apparently this mood was just too much.
Raising her brows, Anne turned away without a word and shed off her coat and scarf. As she hung them up beside Mary Margaret's things, Anne and Mary Margaret gave each other a look. With a soft sigh, Mary Margaret walked towards the kitchen. Anne followed a little slower, smoothing out her short green dress and pulling her black cardigan higher over her shoulders.
"Toaster broken?" Mary Margaret asked, entering the kitchen.
"It wasn't when I started with it. Pretty sure it is now. Just needed to hit something," Emma pushed out, every word full of anger. Anne stopped at the kitchen counter and watched her blonde friend. Emma glanced at her and Anne offered her a kind and comforting smile.
"What happened?" she asked in her soothing voice. Emma sighed and returned to prying the toaster.
"Regina fired me so she could put one of her own puppets in as Sheriff. It's my job," she spoke angrily and forcefully.
"I never heard you so passionate about it before," Mary Margaret said with her brows furrowed. "What changed?"
Anne looked from Mary Margaret to Emma with her brows raised questioningly.
"I don't know, I just…I know I want it back," Emma said, looking between her two friends.
"That's all?" Anne asked, one brow raised. Emma sighed and looked down at the toaster.
"There must be a reason," Mary Margaret added.
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door, all three women turning towards the door. Emma moved the quickest, and walked past the dining table towards the door. Anne and Mary Margaret watched her from the kitchen.
"Maybe I just want to beat her," Emma said, even as she neared the door. She reached out and turned the knob, pulling the door open.
On the other side of the doorway stood Mr. Gold, holding a large binder under his arm. Emma turned and glanced back at Anne, who was peeking around her to see who it was.
When Anne saw the man at the door, the most beautiful smile graced her lips. Both Mary Margaret and Emma took note of that. They had never seen this smile on Anne before.
And neither had they seen the gentle, even warm look in Gold's eyes.
Hesitantly turning his eyes to Emma, Gold smiled tightly, though the slightest remnant of warmth remained in his eyes.
"Good evening, Miss Swan. Sorry for the intrusion. There's something I'd like to discuss with you..." he spoke in a business manner. Emma glanced back again at the two women in the kitchen. Mary Margaret smiled awkwardly and prepared to make her escape.
"I'll let you two talk," she said just before she fled the room. Anne watched her friend disappear as quickly as she could with a smirk, but she quickly returned her eyes to Emma and Gold.
"I was just about to leave," Anne announced, pushing away from the kitchen counter and grabbing both the whiskey bottle and the toaster from the countertop.
"Come on in," Anne heard Emma say, followed by the familiar footsteps of Gold. Anne smiled as she capped the whiskey bottle and walked to the cabinet it belonged to.
"Thank you. I, uh…" Gold paused, glancing distractedly at Anne, with her back turned to him. Her long hair fell down her back in thick golden curls. Gold quickly returned his attention to Emma, mentally shaking himself. "I heard about what happened. Such an injustice."
Emma threw her hands up half heartedly before dropping them to her side.
"Yeah, well, what's done is done."
Gold gave her a disappointed look.
"Spoken like a true fighter."
"I don't know what chance I have. She's Mayor and I'm, well, me," she deadpanned. Still in the kitchen, Anne gathered the broken toaster parts from the floor and the counter.
"Miss Swan, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things. Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more. How would you like a benefactor?" Gold asked, leaning in on his cane. Anne stood from her crouch near the floor and lashed as she set the pieces of the toaster on the countertop, near the battered toaster itself. She didn't want Emma or Mary Margaret stepping barefoot on any of the pieces.
"A benefactor?" Emma asked, her interest caught.
"You mind?" Gold asked, gesturing to the table just feet from where they stood. Emma nodded and the two sat down as Anne turned towards them and slowly made made her way towards the door.
Gold opened the large binder he had brought with him, his eyes flicking up to meet Anne's as she passed them with a smile. She knew she was distracting him.
"You know, it really is quite shocking...how few people study the town charter," Gold began, forcing his eyes back to Emma, who gave him an odd look.
"The town charter?" she asked.
Anne smirked as she grabbed her coat and scarf, folding them over her arm.
"As fun as that sounds," she began softly, a smile on her lips as she approached the two at the table. Both Gold and Emma looked up as Anne stopped beside Gold in his chair, her hand going to rest on his shoulder. "I had best be going. I'll see you tomorrow, Emma."
Anne gave her friend a smile, one which Emma returned. Emma then watched as Anne turned to Gold and bent at the waist to lean closer.
With a soft smile, Anne leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. Emma had to look away, uncomfortable.
"Goodbye, darling," Emma accented voice spoke amusedly and she laughed to herself as she pulled away, seeing the distracted look in Gold's eyes.
At with that, she stepped away, letting her hand caress his shoulder before it dropped to her side again. And she turned to the door and left the apartment, knowing Gold was still thinking of her.
It had been nearly an hour since she returned to her apartment, and Anne had her dinner nearly finished on the stove. As she had been cooking, she moved around her apartment cleaning up and doing the little jobs she needed to.
Once those little things were done, and her dinner nearly done as well, Anne could just stand in her kitchen, a glass of wine in her hand after such a long day. She leaned against her kitchen counter and allowed her chicken to finish in the skillet on her stove.
She was lost in thought when a sudden knock on her door sounded.
Looking towards the door, Anne slowly smiled and set down her wine glass.
Elegantly, her body moved to the door and she slowly opened it.
As the door opened, Gold stood still and smiled down at the beautiful face that met him.
"I came to say goodnight," he said softly, his cane one hand and the large binder under his arm once again. Anne looked him over with a smirk.
"You're not in a hurry, I hope," Anne laughed. Gold smirked and shook his head in answer. "I just finished making dinner. Would you care to join me?"
Gold smiled and nodded, taking a step towards her. Anne smirked as she stood still and allowed him closer.
"I'd love nothing more," Gold told her truthfully, smiling as he leaned down and placed a quick kiss to her lips in greeting. Anne smiled and let out a soft giggle, uncharacteristic of her.
"I'll get our plates then," she announced, stepping lightly away from him, all the while keeping eye contact. Gold smirked as he watched her finally turn and gracefully dance into the kitchen.
He was right to have come tonight.
"Delicious, Anne," Gold complimented her as he took their plates to the sink. Anne smiled from the counter, her back turned to him as she refilled their wine glasses.
"Thank you. It wasn't anything special..." she said with a smirk as she turned to him, both their glasses in her hands. Gold smiled as she walked up to him and handed him his glass.
"I really wasn't expecting anyone...but I hoped you would stop by," she continued, tilting her head in such an endearing manner. Gold chuckled at the way her lopsided smile also twinkled in her eyes. Looking sideways at the counter he leaned against, Gold noticed a small, old radio. He smirked as he glanced back up at Anne's green eyes.
Anne watched curiously as he reached down and switched her radio on. The sound was static at first, but as Gold fiddled with the stations, the sound became clear just as a song ended.
"Quite the antique," he teased her, his hand moving away from the stereo to rest on her arm. Anne glared playfully at him, even as she stepped closer to him. She felt warmth travel through her as his hand moved from her arm to her waist.
"Do not pick on my poor radio. I enjoy listening to music in the morning before I go running," she defended her possession. The radio station's DJ spoke softly in the background, his voice gentle and moving. Anne didn't hear a word he said, but the voice helped her deduce that the station was one of romantic music selections.
Gold merely smiled at her, already beginning to sway her body with his.
Anne laughed, shaking her head as she realized what he was doing. Without wasting another moment, Anne placed her wine glass on the counter and Gold did the same, his now free hand finding hers and grasping it gently, bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing her soft skin.
Anne looked up into his warm brown eyes, feeling herself melting.
The first sounds of a new song filtered through the speaker, and Anne smiled as Gold drew her closer, their joined hands close to his heart and her free hand resting on his chest.
'You're mine...'
Anne smirked softly as she relaxed into Gold, allowing him to lead their bodies in a slow sway to the music.
'And we belong together...Yes, we belong together...for eternity...
You're mine...you're lips belong to me...'
Anne smiled at the words, and she hid the smile in Gold's shoulder.
'Yes, they belong to only me...for eternity...'
Anne turned her head to look at Gold, their faces close together as he looked down at her. He smiled down at her before leaning forward and resting his chin on her head.
'You're mine, my baby...and you'll always be...I swear by everything I own, you'll always, always be mine...'
Gold smiled as he stepped towards Anne and allowed her to dip backwards just slightly, making Anne laugh happily even as she elegantly rolled back into Gold's full embrace. Gold smiled at the look of complete happiness and bliss on her beautiful face. Her eyes searched his, the green pools glistening in the dimming light of the nearly set sun filtering through her windows.
'You're mine...and we belong together...
Yes, we belong together...for eternity...'
As the song ended, Anne sniffed slightly, feeling her eyes wet. Gold looked at her confusedly. She had just seemed so happy.
"What's wrong, dearie?" he asked gently, not stopping in swaying her body with his to the next song, but slowing the movements.
"Nothing, dear," she said with a bright smile, shaking her head. "I love you."
Gold smiled lovingly down at the only woman capable of bringing this feeling into his darkened heart.
"I love you too, Anne," he whispered. "More than anything."
Anne beamed up at him, and Gold slowly leaned down. Her eyes slipped closed and she tipped her chin to meet his lips with hers, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She was his and he was hers for eternity.
No matter the worlds they found themselves in.
After the night of Emma and Gold's meeting, things had began to change. With Gold's help, Emma found a loophole in the town charter and now there was to be an election for sheriff.
On the day of the debate, Anne had her arm looped through Gold's as they approached the city hall. The large building had a banner that proclaimed that today was the day.
As they neared the crowd of people entering the hall, Anne ignored the looks she got from the people. As always, Gold noticed and the thought that others were judging the most beautiful woman so poorly made him scowl.
"Do you think the town will be brave enough to even vote for Emma?" Anne suddenly asked, breaking their comfortable silence as they reached the open doors of the large building. Gold looked down at her and wiped the sour look from his face, replacing it with a tight smile. After what Emma would do in the debate, he was sure they would be.
"Miss Swan has her ways," Gold said shortly, looking over the crowd shuffling into the building. "She is good, and even the daft people of this town will see that."
Anne looked up at him with a glare, though he did not see it. She hated when he talked poorly of others.
"I agree she is good, but you really should not speak that way about these people, Gold," Anne whispered scoldingly up at him. Gold looked down and smiled almost apologetically.
"Sorry, dearie."
Once inside the meeting hall, they took a seat beside each other, Gold sitting on the very outside chair. An easy escape. Gold sighed as he looked around the full room. He was growing nervous, he knew what Emma was going to do and it involved making him the bad guy.
No, he didn't care a smidge of what others thought of him. But what Anne thought of him...
He looked over at her, watching as she made conversation with the young man sitting next to her. He didn't recognize him, and he didn't think Anne knew the man either but she was still conversing with him easily. He smiled slightly.
Unlike him, Anne was kind and caring. Compassionate and friendly. Loving and forgiving.
Gold's smile fell and he sighed inwardly.
He wasn't sure even her capacity to forgive would be enough for what he had done. He wished he could tell her his plan, but he knew she wouldn't approve of it. Besides, for it to seem genuine it needed to seem as if she couldn't believe it.
Anne felt eyes watching her, and as she finished talking to the sweet young man she had just met beside her, she turned her head towards her love. His brown eyes watched her intently, and she beamed brightly at him.
Her smile seemed to lighten the darkness inside him just the slightest, and Gold found it in him to smile back. Turning towards the front of the room again, Anne settled comfortably in her chair. As she sat back, she scooted just slightly to her right, so that she was brushing shoulders and thighs with him. Her small hands reached for his left one, pulling his hand towards her and resting it in her lap.
Gold smiled, his right hand holding his cane and his left hand being held by the most beautiful woman alive.
Normally, they weren't very affectionate in public. But he found it hard to resist giving her a quick kiss to her temple.
Anne smiled up at him, still feeling the warmth of his lips on her skin even after he had leaned away again and turned to watch the front of the room.
She followed suit, though with a smile on her lips, and she watched as Archie stood and walked up to the stand.
Gold tuned out Dr. Hopper. He was far too occupied with worrying about what would happen when Emma took the stand. He knew what he would do, but he didn't want to think of Anne's reaction. He knew he would leave so he wouldn't have to see the disappointment and hurt in her eyes.
"Tragedy has brought us here, but we are faced with this decision," Archie said at the podium. "And now, we ask only that you listen with an open mind and to please vote your conscience. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the candidates – Sidney Glass and Emma Swan. Glass. Swan. Sounds like something that a decorator would make you buy," Archie attempted at a joke, laughing to himself as the looked out across the quiet room. Anne watched the man sympathetically. "Wow, crickets. Okay, uh… Uh, Mr. Glass – your opening statement."
Sidney Glass walked up to the podium in a suit and tie, smoothing his jacket out and giving the crowd a smile.
"I just want to say, that if elected, I want to serve as a reflection of the best qualities of Storybrooke. Honesty, neighbourliness, and strength. Thank you," Sidney finished, stepping away from the podium as the room clapped. Archie moved back to the podium as Sidney took his seat.
"And Emma Swan."
Anne smiled as her friend walked up to the podium. She felt Gold squeeze her hand softly, and she looked to him with a smile. But she saw his eyes. He was nervous about something. He was hiding it well, but not well enough to hide it from her.
With a frown, Anne leaned closely to him.
"Are you alright?" Anne whispered in his ear. Gold looked down at her and gave her a smile. A pretty convincing look. But she was still unsure.
"I'm fine..." he answered, still looking down into her eyes. Anne furrowed her brows as he stared down at her.
"I love you," he whispered softly, so only she could hear. Anne smiled lovingly up at him.
"And I love you," she answered him, her hands gently squeezing his lovingly. She then turned her attention back to the podium and her friend speaking.
Gold sighed softly, and when she heard him do so, Anne began softly caressing his hand with her thumb in a comforting manner.
"You guys all know I have what they call a, uh…troubled past. But, you've been able to overlook it because of the, um…hero thing. But here's the thing..." Emma paused.
Anne furrowed her brows and tilted her head slightly as Emma got a determined look on her face. What was she doing?
"The fire was a setup." Gasps and whispers went through the crowd. "Mr. Gold agreed to support me in this race, but I didn't know that that meant he was going to set a fire."
Gold felt Anne's soft ministrations on his hand suddenly stop, her entire body going rigid against his.
"I don't have definitive evidence, but I'm sure. And the worst part of all this was – the worst part of all this is – I let you all think it was real. And I can't win that way. I'm sorry."
Anne couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Her body felt frozen and her mind as well. She stared ahead, even as she felt eyes of others turn towards her and Gold, who quietly slipped his hand from hers and stood up without a word, his footsteps and cane fading as he exited the hall.
Anne felt all the eyes of the town on her, but all she could do was stare in shock at the podium.
What had just happened?