it's all fine {open}

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There are times in life when you have to wonder if you’re making the right choice. These times can be as simple as deciding what to have for breakfast, or who to go on a date with, or what to wear. Or they could be much, much more challenging. And, on some very rare occasions, potentially dangerous. It was one such occasion that Emma found herself outside of the pawnshop in the rain on a dreary Tuesday morning. The town street was deserted, as most knew better than to venture out in weather such as this. A strong gust of wind blew through the street with a strange fury. Had it not been raining, and were she in a different part of the country, Emma could easily imagine seeing a tumbleweed going rolling by.

She shivered slightly from the cold, wishing that she was wearing more than a black windbreaker over her white blouse. A better choice would have been to take Mary Margaret up on her offer of lending the sheriff a sweater and a proper raincoat. But no, she had been in too much of a hurry at the time to properly consider the alternative. Then, a hurry may not be the proper state she was in. Rather she had been distracted. Yes, distracted indeed, by thoughts of her son, Henry. She had woken up today with the strong impression that she wasn’t doing enough for him. Alas, she was at first at a loss for what she could do. Mothering was not something that came naturally to her.

So, it was with great trepidation that she eventually settled on getting her son a present. She had, after all, missed almost every single one of his birthdays. She owed him that much. Especially since she couldn’t be the person that he wanted her to be. A savior indeed. The thought was still too much for her to handle. Raising her gaze to the sky Emma released a breath, a cloud of white mist forming around her mouth. For weeks now she had been carefully avoiding the pawnbroker, and to step forward now would mean that she would have no choice but to face him. She sighed once more, lowering her head and squaring her shoulders. No matter her feelings for the man, Henry was far more important. Moving forward she reached out her hand and twisted the door handle, pushing it open and stepping inside. The bell above the door jingled, signaling her arrival, and she knew that now it was too late to turn back; she had no choice but to move forward.

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The sound of the bell ringing, signalled to Gold that someone had entered his shop. Looking up from his desk, his eyes widened slightly. Surprised that Emma had taken then to come in. He'd noticed that she had been avoiding him recently. He'd left her too it. With Belle's return, he couldn't be bothered with anything else but her at least for the first couple of days. Then he had to work, and he got swamped down again. He'd been doing paperwork just before Emma had arrived.

Catching up on the stuff he'd gotten behind on because he spent too much time with Belle, not that he was really complaining. He loved Belle. The bell that Mr Gold had, had to replace very recently. He stood. “Well Well, it's our dear savior” he chuckled. “What have you come here for?” he asked, his arms moving from side to side, pointing to all the odd bits he had piled in his shop. He leant on his cane for support. His leg wasn't painful. Not today anyway. Just weak. He hated being weak. Who would be scared of a limping old man.

“How is Henry?” he asked, making general conversation. The boy was smart. Smart for an 8 year old anyway. He chuckled to himself. “I am to assume you came here with some sort of intention, other than buying my delightful merchandise” he stated. No one really bought anything from him. They were too scared. He made his money mostly in real estate and rent.

He limped towards her as quickly as he could. His cane making a tiny scratching noise as it moved against the floor. He brushed his suit down with his free hand, waiting for her to speak. He wasn't exactly a very patient person...