#gremma

               He wasrelaxed for a moment, pulling his hands through the long strands of her hair asshe breathed heavily across the skin of his chest. She was awake but justbarely, mellowed and drifting towards sleep. It was rare to see her so atpeace, especially with all the running around they’d had to do in the past fewweeks.

               Hefinally turned his head to look down at her, fingers cupping along her jaw toprompt her to look up. Her green eyes were wide and inquisitive, but her lipscurled into a smile to see his own.

               “Hmm?”she murmured her question, and her hand snaked down his ribs until her fingerscaught over his hipbone.

               Heshook his head and leaned down, nudging her nose with his. “Nothing. Just …quiet.”

               Herlashes flickered across her cheeks and she leaned up to press a slow kiss tohis lips. “Won’t be long. But yeah … it’s kinda nice,” she agreed.

               Hehummed an agreement; it wouldn’t last long. With the little spells slowlycoming apart at the seams came more danger from Regina and the rest of the lotlurking behind the curtain of the Dark Curse.

              This most recent, and potentially significant,win for their side only heightened the pressure they were in, and most ofyesterday was spent on edge as they anticipated the fallout from it. She hadfrozen him out for half of the day, then picked fights for the other half. The pent-uptension had made their coupling quick, hard, aggressive, and now they hadfinally tempered down to something more akin to themselves.

              “Quiet can certainly have itsadvantages,” she said huskily. She dragged her lips across his shoulder, herthumb absently rubbing across the line of his hip, and something in the bareintimacy of it stirred his blood.

               He pressedher back into the sheets, biting down on her neck as his hands roamed down herbody. He was just about to devour her entirely and take his time doing so, whenof course his cell went off.

               “No,”she groaned out, and hooked her leg over him. “Stay.”

               Hekissed her languidly, toying with the idea of ignoring it completely as itbuzzed again. But the feeling of before, of anticipating another shoe dropping…. “Let me just check it.”

               Shepouted. “Fine, Mr. Officer,” she teased, and untangled from him. She rose fromthe sheets and stretched. She didn’t bother grabbing a robe as she pattedtowards the kitchen. “I’m going to get a snack, then.”

               Hegrowled under his breath as he watched her leave, snagging the offending phoneoff the dresser. He was glad to see the humor back in her, even if it was justto drive him crazy.

              The newer technology she hadprocured for him after her pre-election stopover in Boston was still a bitconfusing, and he struggled to unlock his screen. It took him a moment to findthe now-familiar contact that had popped up with its alert. He sighed and draggedhis hand through his hair, letting the curls stand on end. Now, this was whathe had been expecting. “It’s an actual call. Problem at the Rabbit Hole.”

               Emmapeeked into the doorway, a jar of peanut butter in hand, knife already stickingout of it. “Rabbit Hole,” she said slowly, a hint of dread in her tone. “…who’s that?”

               He grabbedhis boxers from the pool of clothes on the floor and pulled them on. “It’sJefferson. He just caught sight of broken glass on the street; looks like noone’s actually called it in yet. And we know it’s not like he’s going to investigate,” he said somewhat bitterly.

               He hadactually thought they were going to gain an extra fighter when they’d stumbledon the hatter on the hill, but he barely counted as an ally.

              They had been coming from the townline, leaving behind a newly reunited family, when the cruiser’s tire popped.Graham hadn’t been too concerned about being stuck in the middle of the woods,though he had seen something different in the way Emma was reacting to it. Itwasn’t long before they understood it as intuition, and the hatter appearedmere moments later.

              He had been enigmatic, stirring up thealready tense mood with pressing questions and barely-there threats. When herealized that they both knew about the curse, he had been surprised, relief looseninghis tongue to the point he was tripping over his words.

              It was almost painful to admit thatthey had no idea how to break it. For Jefferson, it was sobering. Relieftransformed into anger, and he had been adamant that Emma had magic in her.Graham could have told him that much, but without any clue how to use it, itwas worthless.

              They had left the mansion with afresh set of bruises around Emma’s wrist and an ache in Graham’s fist acquiredbefore the understanding had been come to. Jefferson was left to something lessthreatening, and had managed to begrudgingly admit that at least they had ateam forming for their side before they left.

              That didn’t mean they had any newideas.

               Jeffersonhad decided to bury himself back into his mansion, sulking and subdued. He poppedback up with random texts at random hours, half thought out plots and memoriesthat he thought could be helpful. In fact, some of those ideas were infact helpful, popping threads of Regina’s hold.

              But he was never satisfied. So far,Jefferson thought it had all been fruitless, even though they had managed tostitch together some happy endings here and there. In his eyes, if it didn’tmean that Paige was Grace again, it didn’t count.

              Graham rubbed the back of his neckas he thought about the implications of this observation. “So we don’t knowwhat’s involved,” he continued.

               Emmafrowned and chewed on her lip. “So that means it might not have even been abreak in. It might have been a fight, or worse,” she collapsed against thedoorframe and her eyes rolled upward. “If it’s her, we should both go. I toldyou I don’t like the thought of her on her own there.”

               Hegrimaced. “Well, we got Jefferson’s eyes in that direction at least. We don’tknow anything yet, and Mikey should have been on shift, too,” he reasoned.

               “Istill say we should have gotten her elsewhere. It’s only been a few days, andwe know Sidney frequents that place,” she grumbled.

               “Wetried,” he reminded, and tossed a shirt over his head. One of the fights shepicked earlier had been of that, but they couldn’t force anything on her afterdecades prior of just that from Regina. He pulled on his jacket and glancedback at her. “You can stay here, you know. We don’t actually know if anythinghappened. It was a long day today, and you’ve gotta meet Henry on the way toschool tomorrow.”

               Hetried to facilitate her time with Henry as much as possible, for the both ofthem. Emma couldn’t quite see just how much the boy loved her, and was evenmore reluctant to admit to herself how much she loved him, but maybe someday.In the meantime, the time spent together kept them all sane. Especially Henry,who he worried after more than anyone else, stuck under Regina’s unyieldinghand.  

               Shesnorted. “Like I could sleep,” she griped and stalked over to the spare room.

               Hepulled on his trousers and frowned deeply at his phone. There was still nothingfrom the Rabbit Hole. He quickly shot off an answering text to Jefferson,asking him to keep the telescope on the bar until he got there. If nothingelse, he trusted him to do that.

               Whenshe came back, she was dressed and her hair was brushed through, but her facewas pulled into a scowl. “I don’t like this, Graham.”

               Hecautiously grabbed her hand, thumb rolling over the tattoo on her wrist. Shevisibly relaxed, and he breathed through knowing he could at least get her todo that. “I know you don’t. But every day we get a little closer to the end, Iknow it.”

               Shegrimaced and looked up at him. “I wish I had your optimism,” she said.

               Heshrugged. “I only get mine from the kid, so,” he teased.

               Shetried to hide a smile and then tugged on her red jacket. “C’mon, let’s get thisover with. I want to get back in bed.”

               “I toldyou that you could sleep,” he said with a shrug.

               “And Itold you I won’t be sleeping,” she said and tugged on his hand.

               Whenthey pulled up, there was a light dusting of snow across the sidewalk,glimmering in the dim glow of the neon lights. He was barely able to discernthe ice from the shards of glass, though they were apparent. “Hey, walkcareful,” he warned back to Emma. He heard the car door slam and then thecareful crunch of snow under boots and knew she was heeding his words.

               Heexamined the shatter of the door, spider-webbing outward from a hole towardsthe bottom. “Mikey?” he called.

               “Sheriff?”Mikey answered, and he peeked through the fractures of the window. He waswiping his hands with a dirty rag, and he nodded. “Someone call it in, Iguess?”

               “Yeah,”he said and sidestepped the glass to open the door. “Looks like you had someproblems tonight.” He scanned the bar area, but it looked like just the threeemployees were left, along with Leroy on the back stool finishing a drink andalmost asleep. Granny must’ve kicked him out.

               Mikeyshrugged. “Ah, nothing much. I’ll get it boarded up so no one gets in and thenI’ll sweep up the walk. Be good as new by tomorrow. You know how these drunksget.”

               “Anybodyhurt?” Emma asked as she ducked through the doorway.

               Mikeyput a stool on the bar top. “Some egos, maybe, Sheriff two.”

               Herelaxed, especially with the teasing tone Mikey had taken. It was a tossup howpeople accepted Emma now, whiplashing from blatantly ignoring her toconsidering her a saint. Mikey, for all he didn’t know of his former self, wasat least ready to let the new title slip off his tongue easily.  “How’d it start?” Graham asked, flipping out anotebook. Even if this had nothing to do with the feeling from yesterday, he’dhave to do his job at least.

               “Withme, probably.”

               Graham turnedto find the girl in question. Her hair was thrown up on top of her head, makeupheavy, and she was in an electric blue tube top, sheer stockings, and shortsthat belied the blistering cold outside. Her normal accent was pushed back bythe coarser twang of her cursed one. She wore a smirk and a hand on her hip.

               “Who are you?” the voice asked,dark stringy hair obscuring features. The figure was small, frail, huddled intothemselves. The voice was plainly female, if hoarse in disuse.

               Graham hesitated, and glancedback to the two behind him before responding. “I’m the Sheriff,” he answeredsimply, and decided to use the excuse they meant to give the nurse beforeJefferson took the matter into his own hands. “We have reason to believe youare here under false pretenses.”

               The girl untangled her limbs andher face caught the moonlight. Graham sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly struckby familiarity. Emma was close, fingers brushing up against his own. He turnedto her and swallowed, inclining his head slightly. Jefferson was right.

               The prisoner in the tower. Hedidn’t know her name, but he knew enough that Regina thought her importantenough to capture rather than kill. Important enough, but yet not so importantas to shine any light on her imprisonment. There had been one aborted rescueattempt, he thought, but without any follow-through.

               Jefferson had promised a blow toRegina. If she still wanted the girl hidden even with the curse, releasing hercertainly would be.  

               Jefferson was impatient, andpushed to the front of them. His eyes were dark, jaw set. “Come with us.” Heyanked her to her feet and she was lifted like a ragdoll.

               The girl’s eyes were wide,scared, and she let out a sharp squeak of what he hoped was surprise and notpain.

               “Jefferson…,” he growled, andtook his shoulder. The man’s answering look was blank, as if he didn’trecognize what he was doing as wrong.

               “We have to get her out of herebefore Regina’s lackeys catch on,” he said, his tone patronizing. “I would haveguessed you’d realize that, being that you used to be one of them.”

               “Okay, that’s enough,” Emma cutin sharply, and pushed the hatter back. She pinned him with a glare. She turnedto the girl and frowned. “Look, me and Graham, we’re from the sheriff’s office.We can get you out of here.”

               Her eyes flashed back and forthbetween all of them. “I don’t,” she hesitated and then licked her lips. “Idon’t know why I’m here.”

               “You don’t belong here,” Emmasaid firmly, and then pulled off her leather jacket. She draped it over thegirl’s thin shoulders and guided her toward the door. “We’re going to get youhome.”

               Heshook off the memory. “Not your father again, Lacey?” Graham finally asked. Itdidn’t look like the handiwork of the Queen, though he knew that Regina must beseething over her loss. Maurice had been set up in place as explanation for herimprisonment, though, so the curse still had him pushing against his daughterout in the world and out of confinement. It had been the initial push-back ingetting her reintegrated into a life.

               Laceyshook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “Nah, he’s keepin’ hisdistance for now,” she said and moved to the pool table. “It’s the guy that’sbeen mooning all over me since I started work again. He took offense to metryin’ to snag a date off Keith.”

               “Keith,”Graham murmured, and his jaw tightened. He barely remembered the man from theother realm, but enough that he was set on edge. He turned to Emma, wonderingif she got the same vibe from his cursed counterpart. She was staring rightback at him, and gave a bare shrug.

               “Wait,so this was some big macho fight over you? Don’t guys know?” Emma said withforced humor.

               Laceysmirked and pulled a couple pool sticks back into the rack. “Well, anyway. Hetried to pull some punches, got them both kicked out. Next thing you know, thedoor’s all shattered to hell. Angry pricks.”

               “Who’sthe other guy, then?” Graham asked, and scratched the back of his head. Hehated the fact that her cursed persona had no problem exposing herself todanger. He could barely see the kind, open face of the girl he once knew behindthe personality of this woman.

               Shesmacked her gum and moved the cue chalk under the table. “The landlord.”

               Hestartled. “What?”

               Emmaset her hands on her hips, jaw tight. Her eyes were flaming, and he could seeevery last bit of residual anger from the election on her face. “Gold.”

               Grahamnarrowed his gaze on her. “Gold?” he asked, and turned to Mikey forconfirmation. Mikey bobbed his head, still wiping down glasses, but not reallypaying attention. He turned to Emma next, feeling that pit of dread suddenly takingmore shape.

               Instantly,it made sense. A secret prisoner in a tower was one saved for leverage. He was not expecting aconnection to Rumpelstiltskin, but Regina would want to wield stakes againsthim in this world just as much as she would in the other.

               Hewondered if it was better or worse that she was out of the hospital basement,for any of them.

               Laceyspun on her heel and reached for the whiskey on the top shelf. She pouredherself a glass and pushed a messy lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t knowwhy he’s been so damn persistent. Talkin’ about keepin’ me safe and all that. Ican take care of myself,” she ground out.

Emma slid next to him, and he couldpractically feel her wariness. “Sure, Lacey, but it doesn’t hurt to take someextra precautions. You’ve been back on your feet for, what, two days?”

               Laceyshook her head and grinned wryly. “So it makes sense that I wanna get back tomy routine, right?” She took back a shot.

               “Lacey,take it easy. It’s comin’ out of your tips,” Mikey warned, and then disappearedinto the back room.

               “Yeah,yeah,” she muttered and tipped her head at them. “Want any?”

               Hecould see Emma’s head shake in the negative in time with his before they shareda look. Graham tucked away the notebook. “Look, Lacey … I understand that youwant your freedom—“

               “No,”she said firmly, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I deserve my freedom. If Dad hadn’t had melocked up in the first place, this wouldn’t be an issue,” she ground out.

               Grahamgave a conceding nod. “You do. But it doesn’t hurt to take precautions. Maybetake a week off, get settled.”

               “And dowhat? At least people know to look if I don’t show up at work,” she argued.

               Graham’shead dropped, and he silently agreed. Emma came to flank him. “Maybe itwouldn’t hurt to take up a self-defense class or two, though,” she said dryly.

               Laceysmirked. “That I might consider.”

*

               Oncethey had obligatorily written down their notes, taken their pictures, andlogged the statements, they walked out together back into the snow. Grahamshared a look with her as the patched up door closed behind them. “We tried,”he said, seeing the furrow that creased her forehead.

               Shetook in a deep breath and her shoulders slumped. “Yeah. I know we did,” shesaid dejectedly.

               “Is sheokay?”

               Theyboth turned toward the dark alley, barely making out the outline of the figurein the shadows. The accent, however, was unmistakable.

               Graham’sshoulders squared. “That’s not your business.”

               Hestepped forward, barely glancing toward the broken window. “I just need toknow.”

               Emmalocked her hand in his and glared at the man. “Why? Haven’t you caused enoughtrouble?”

               Hisanswering look was impatient, and he leaned heavily on his cane. “She must bekept safe, and I am only looking to that. With Regina you can never be tooprepared.”

               Emmawas tense, and only glowered. They may agree about Regina, but blindly trustingGold was a mistake only to make once.

Gold took the silence in stride,and sneered. “So, perhaps a deal’s in order.”

               Grahamraised his chin. He hadn’t outright told the man that he had his memories,hadn’t told him that he knew who he was. He suspected he knew anyway. “I don’tmake deals with people I don’t trust,” he said darkly.

               Goldsneered. “Then maybe it’s a good thing that your girl here owes me a favor.”

               Emmavisibly bristled, and her spine straightened. Her grip on his tightened. “’Hisgirl’ gets final say in which favor she says yes to,” she replied haughtily.

               His eyetwitched, and Graham gently tugged on her hand to bring hershoulder-to-shoulder with him. He was sure they didn’t make too intimidating apair to an immortal like he was, but he needed to punctuate her stand with oneof his own.

               Goldnearly rolled his eyes. “Fine, then, Huntsman, what will get you two toconcede?”

               Grahamtried not to falter. He had never been so blatant with the secret they bothwished to hide. His jaw set and he growled under his breath. “Why does itmatter?”

               His jawset, eyes taking on a murderous glint. “I don’t much enjoy repeating myself.”

               Emmasqueezed his hand gently and then released it to take a step forward. “Thehearts, then. Help us get them back.”

               Grahamturned to her, feeling that empty place within him tighten in a strange sort ofway. He couldn’t believe how much he loved her, even without it.

               Gold,for his part, scoffed. “Much good they will do you.”

               “Betterthan being a pawn for Regina’s use,” she countered.

               “Clevergirl,” he replied, grin stretching across his face darkly. The imp he once wasfelt much more apparent in his current state of amusement. “It’s a deal, then?I help you both get the queen’s rotten hands from those souls, and you keep myBelle safe.”

                “How can we trust that you’ll be able to doit?” Emma asked cautiously.

               Hisgrin deepened. “You still doubt me after the election?”

               Emma gloweredat him. “Not a good time to remind me, Gold.”

               “Do youhave magic?” Graham cut in, having finally centered his thoughts.

               “Ah,this is the world without it, Huntsman,” he replied.

               Hecocked an eyebrow. It wasn’t exactly an answer, but he chose not to press. Yet.“Then she doesn’t have any?”

               Gold’seyes glimmered. “The only one that has any semblance of magic is beside you.”

               Emmafaltered at that, and glanced between them two blankly a moment before rollingher shoulders back. She still grappled with that idea, and it was painted clearas day on her face in this moment. Still, she pressed forward. “Is that why you’rehanging on to that favor?”

               “Like Isaid, clever girl,” he replied. “But it also means we have an advantage againstthe queen. So, we should have a plan to get those stray internal organs in theright spot, especially since this one still has his own missing,” he said,jutting his chin in his direction.

               Graham’scheek twitched, but he didn’t rise to the unspoken bait. “Sure, of course a plan’sin order. But the onus is on you for it.”

               “A deal’sa deal,” he said darkly, and held out his hand.

               “Why doesthis deal feel very Faustian?” Emma muttered for only him to hear beforestepping forward to shake his hand. “What exactly are you expecting from us?”          

               “Fornow? Make sure that the queen and that simple-minded twit Maurice don’t get nearher. I’ll have more for you later.”

               Emmastepped back, a crunch of leftover glass beneath her heel. “I’m sure you will.”

               Grahamneeded to remind himself: the enemy of my enemy and all that. “But you will notapproach Emma alone,” he bit out his own terms, his voice wrought with thegrowl he would have preferred to expel.

               Emmacaught his hand again. “And you don’t approach him alone. We will reachout to you.”

               Goldchuckled darkly. “Sheriff and Sheriff. Understood.” He dripped back into theshadows, but then lingered. “But know this – you may think you’re in charge. Ijust trust that you think about that before moving forward with any threats.”

               Theydidn’t get a chance to answer, but Graham doubted there was much they couldhave said to counter him. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned to Emma. Shewas frowning deeply, but managed to shrug a shoulder up at his inspection. “Gottalive up to my name somehow. Not the best way to start, maybe, but there areworse ways.”

               Hesighed. “You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be,” he reminded.

               Sheblinked. “Well, it’s apparently already been written,” she said bitterly.

               “Hey,”he prompted, and finally took a glance around. “Let’s get to the car.”

               Hewaited until the door slammed and they were at least slightly insulated fromprying eyes. She was still tense, and he started the car to get the heater blowingat the very least.

               Therewas a long pause as her lips darkened in the heat, her arms crossed over herchest.

               “Youdon’t have to do this, Emma. You don’t have to trust Gol—”

               “I don’ttrust him. But Graham, this is the right thing to do.”

               “We’regetting in deep, now,” he said softly. He leaned in and rested his fingertipsalong her jaw gently. “I just need to make sure you’re keeping yourself safe aswe chip away this curse.”

               Sheleaned into his touch, looking thoughtful. “That’s why I keep you along for theride,” she said, teasing. She twisted to catch her lips against his skin. “Letme do this. It—Graham, if I can’t get yours back in your chest quite yet, letme make sure she can’t leverage anyone else in the same way.”

               He shuthis eyes tightly and then nodded. “Okay. Okay, so long as we’re smart aboutthis. It’s got to be together.”

               Shenodded once, firmly. “Together.”

               Everythingin his past would have pointed to it not being enough. Despite this, he feltalmost optimistic.