Chapter 14: Seducing Mr. Gold
Emma Swan or should she say Potter frowned as she ordered a beer at the pub that she was meeting Ford at. It had been a very long week, and she honestly wanted to get plastered right now. She had even rented a room in the adjoining inn that the bar had. She had to get away from Storybrooke for the evening; it had just been too much gaining and then losing custody of Jaime again.
She sighed heavily as she thought back to that blasted hearing.
Somehow Regina had been able to finagle a hearing with very little notice. Harry was out on business, and since it was him—rather than Emma who had temporary custody over Jaime—it was very easy for Regina to argue that Jaime didn't have a proper guardian to watch over him.
"Ms. Swan obviously does not care about Henry Mills's welfare." Sidney Glass said.
"Objection," Hermione snapped.
"I am just pointing out the facts, your honor." Sidney told the judge. "She did not disavow the adoption in the ten years since Mrs. Mills adopted the boy."
"There is a TRO in place because Ms. Mills is not fit to raise a child," Hermione snapped. "The child was given drugs that were not prescribed to him, left home alone, and fell out of a window because of Mills's actions"
"There is an explanation for that, your honor." Sidney claimed.
"There is not even jurisdiction over this case here," Hermione snapped. "I don't even know how you can properly have a hearing here, when the case was filed in another court."
The judge completely ignored Hermione's claims about jurisdiction. Being a crony of Regina's it was obvious they could care less about their judicial reputation. What mattered to them was whether or not they had good favor with the mayor. That was something Emma was quickly learning since she had, had little to no success in the courts in Storybrooke so far.
At least in the criminal courts, the eviction order that Gold had sent her to take care of seemed to be past without much fuss in the civil courts. Apparently, Regina didn't care about excessive homelessness than keeping the local drunk locked up.
The judge shook his head at Hermione, "Watch it, Ms. Granger, or I'll hold you in contempt."
"For what, arguing my case?" She spat out.
"That's it," The judge said. "At the end of this hearing, you're going into lock up. Someone, call Humbert."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"As I was saying," Judge Reaux said. "The order was clearly faulty. Mr. Potter is not even on the child's birth certificate, he has no claim to him. And as for Ms. Swan, the fact that she didn't even have the decency to check on her child all those years says something."
"Objection," Hermione said.
"Don't tempt me to make it another day in jail," The judge said rolling her eyes at Hermione.
This was clearly one of the more bizarre courts Emma had been too, but years of dealing with cantankerous judges told her to keep her mouth shut.
"As I was saying," Judge Reaux said. "The child should remain in Mayor Mills's care for the time being. The evidence shows that the child is in no immediate danger."
And this was what ticked Emma off. "Immediate danger, he fell out of a window because she drugged him."
"Ms. Swan you are in contempt as well. The matter is resolved the child in question will be returned to his mother. You two will be in jail for contempt. Court in now adjoined"
"We're appealing, obviously" Hermione snapped. "And I'm filing a complaint with the bar association."
"Go ahead." The judge said as Emma saw Regina smirk out of the corner of her eye.
She had plenty of time to think about her hatred for Regina, at least until Harry came and gallantly bailed her AND Hermione out the next morning. She really wasn't that big of a fan of Harry's though, since if he was there maybe they would've stood a chance.
It was ridiculous, she knew. Regina had that judge in her pocket, and he wasn't going to listen to reason. Much like Deville.
What was with these people?
Still though, a part of her felt if Harry hadn't gone back to whatever it was he did, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
Hermione tried to reassure her that the firm would take care of it, before they had been hauled off to jail. But something happened when she saw Graham. A weird look came over her, and she didn't want to talk much.
Graham for his part had been pretty nice about the whole ordeal, asked her what she wanted from Granny's. That hadn't been like the last time she had been in jail, and as far as jail cells went Storybrooke's wasn't near as bad as the prison she had been locked up in for almost seven months. Still, Emma found herself having a bit of a panic attack, especially after her encounter with Regina.
"Well, you're finally back where you belong." Regina snapped as she turned to face Emma.
"Get out of my face," Emma said. "This is NOT over, Regina."
"Is it," She said. "I think it is. Reaux settled the obvious. The boy is MY son not yours and that husband of yours. Who can't even show up to the hearing, at least my husband has an excuse. Though, he will be playing an active role in our son's life now that he's awake. So yeah, that marriage card. Not going to work anymore."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"And you are the sad sack of a lawyer that they hired," Regina snapped. "I suggest you leave town whoever you are."
"Hermione," Emma's attorney snapped. "My name is Hermione Granger."
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. You are just as insignificant mouse as you'll ever be."
Regina then left, leaving Hermione and Emma alone for the night. Hermione sighed, "It's going to be okay, Emma."
"Don't say that." She said. "Jaime is in that monster's custody."
Hermione sighed, "This was only a battle not the war."
But Emma couldn't help but be upset. Her son was gone—again. And despite what Hermione, and later Harry said she thought he was truly gone this time. With the restraining order that Regina got, she couldn't even contact Jaime.
She hadn't said much to Harry about it.
Hell, she couldn't even talk to Harry without wanting to blame him. She knew he had a life, a job, but she couldn't help but blame him for Jaime being taken away when it wasn't entirely his fault.
Harry seemed to keep his distance for the most part too, but that didn't keep them from fighting eventually.
Like most of their arguments, it seemed to start from nothing. Harry had just asked her if she was okay.
"Seriously," She snapped.
"You haven't been talking," He said.
"I wonder why." She snapped. "Besides, what is there for us to discuss Harry?"
A lot of things, obviously, but really Emma didn't see the point. It was just talking about what they couldn't fix.
"The custody case for one," Harry said. "I know you're upset about what happened, Emma. I am too—"
"Don't," She said cutting him off. "You weren't even there."
"You know that was out of my control," Harry stated.
Logically, she knew he was right. He had a job. Much like Emma HAD a job before she left Boston. She still had a job, but now instead of doing what she loved she was completely stonewalled. The only thing she could get through was eviction notices and it frustrated her. Much like everything about the whole scenario irritated her.
So, she just ended up shaking her head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter."
"It very well matters," Harry said. "We're going to fix this."
All Emma could do was shake her head, "Doesn't look like you've been fixing things so far, just fucking them up more."
And that caused Harry to lose it, it was the first time he ever lashed out and what he said absolutely cut her. "Well, at least I never gave up on Jaime. Unlike you. You could've resolved this issue years ago, after you got yourself out of jail. Instead, you abandoned him to that bitch."
"Get out." Emma hissed knowing he was telling the truth.
Harry rolled his eyes, "I'm just telling you the truth, Emma. No need banishing me. After all, I need to keep our 'charade' up, dearie."
The way he said that word, she knew what she had said in the coffee shop really stung him. Yeah, she felt bad about it but at the same time, that word dearie grated on her nerves. "Damn you." She snapped.
He shook his head. "And I'll take that as my excuse to go to my study. Lucky for you, I have another meeting on Thursday that will have me out of your hair for the week."
Emma wished she could divorce the bastard, though to be fair Harry had every right to be angry at her. He left with very little ceremony on Thursday, not even telling her goodbye.
Which left Emma alone. She had forgot that she had a dinner date that Friday with Ford, until he called her the night before.
"I can understand if you want to cancel, love. This hasn't been an ideal week for you."
She sighed, "I think it will do me some good to get out of the house. Besides, there are some things I need to discuss with you, Ford."
And now here she was, at the pub that she suggested that he meet her at. It was a little place in the nearest town outside of Storybrooke—a good thirty minutes away. Emma had already gotten a hotel room, because she just couldn't stand being in that house tonight.
She sighed heavily, wondering where Ford was. She really didn't like drinking alone and as she thought this her phone buzzed. She looked down at it to see that her lawyer and friend wrote: Be there in a sec, got an important phone call.
Emma nodded wishing she would still get phone calls, instead of just merely filing eviction notices.
"Well, you look like a sore sight for eyes, love."
She turned around to see Ford. Like always he was in one of his suits, much like her husband she thought to her disdain. God, why did she marry that guy? Yes, Harry seemed to have moments of tolerability, but usually all Emma wanted to do was throttle the man.
It seemed odd, since apparently once upon a time she supposedly loved him.
"Don't flatter me, Ford." She said, "I know I look like a mess."
"I wouldn't exactly say a mess," He said. "But you do make me feel overdressed."
Emma laughed, "I doubt you even own a pair of jeans."
"I probably have a pair in my closet, somewhere." He said, "But I just got out of the meeting so the suit was kind of a necessity."
She shrugged. "You look fine, I'm sorry I look like such a mess."
"It's been a tough week," He said. "Though, I have a feeling our luck is going to quickly change."
"Ford."
"I'm taking over the case," He said bluntly. "Hermione is great and all, but I feel like I need to have a little bit more direct involvement with the case. It's the only way that—well, things are going to get resolved."
Emma laughed. "You might be a Miracle Worker, but you're forgetting that town doesn't go by logic."
He sighed heavily as he waved to the bartender to get him a beer and Emma a refill. "Oh, I haven't forgot, love. I've been burned by Regina my fair share of times. I should've realized she wasn't going to let things lie when we got that TRO."
"Harry shouldn't have left," Emma heard herself snapping.
"It's not exactly his fault," Ford said. "He is a very busy man."
Emma nodded. "I know, but I can't help but feel angry with him. I feel angry with him about so many things, Ford, and I don't even know why. It's not like I hated the guy, at least I don't remember hating him."
"From what Harry says the two of you used to be very much in love."
Emma nodded as she sipped her beer. She had heard this much from him already, but Harry himself hadn't really said anything about their relationship. Not that she expected him too. After all, she had shut him down.
Finally she spoke, "It's ridiculous though, I can't see myself falling in love with anyone."
"After Ralph Miller, you mean."
"No, even before that." Emma said, "I was a foster kid, after all. It doesn't exactly make for romantic individuals."
Ford laughed as if he understood.
Emma gave him a weird look. "We're you in the system too?"
"No," He said. "Though, it might've been better if I was. My upbringing wasn't exactly idealistic to say the least. My bastard of a father abandoned me when I was young, and my relatives were less than friendly."
Emma frowned as she thought back to what Harry told her, how she'd abandoned Jaime.
"What's wrong?"
"I—I feel like I abandoned Jaime." She said.
"That's ridiculous," Ford stated.
"Is it? Harry said something about how, how, Regina wouldn't have him had I fought. And he's right. I should've fought. I was selfish. I was stupid. I didn't give him a single thought after I got out of jail, you could've gotten him and he wouldn't have been with that woman, he wouldn't have gotten his arm broken, and he wouldn't be in jail."
There was now snot all over her face. Snot and tears and mascara, not exactly an ideal appearance. She was grateful that Ford offered her his handkerchief, because of course he was the type to carry one of those things with him.
"It's only a loan, love." He said, "You can't keep it. Those things are Armani."
"I doubt you'll want it when I get finish with it," Emma said. "I am a mess."
"Your emotional with good reason," Ford said as he put his hand on hers. Oddly, enough, Emma sort of liked the feeling of it touching her. There was something comforting about it, which seemed bizarre to her, since she usually didn't like to be touched by any one.
As if sensing this Ford quickly removed his hand.
"Don't." She said.
"Don't what?" He asked.
"Try to make me feel better," She said, "Harry had a point. I had a chance and I blew it."
"Emma," Ford said. "You didn't. You might've been out of jail, but remember I saw you those days. I know how broken you were."
She had been broken, completely broken. It had taken her months after getting out of that cell to get a complete sleep, but it was no excuse and she told Ford that. "I'm his mother."
"You are," He said. "But that doesn't mean you made the wrong decision at least at the time. Regardless, Harry shouldn't have said those things. I'll make sure he apologizes to you."
"Ford," Emma said. "Don't. He had ever right to be upset. We aren't—well, obviously, we're not getting along that well. Like I told you earlier, I'm not one cut out for relationships."
"To be fair though, I doubt Potter is much for one either." Ford said. "You deserve an apology."
Emma laughed. There was something so odd about the way he said that almost as if he was apologizing to her himself. God knows, her actually husband would never tell her that. Harry seemed like he would always find some way of blaming her, and he was right to a degree. Still she couldn't help but say, "God, I wish Harry was like you."
"Don't be ridiculous," Ford said as he took a sip of his beer.
But she did wish Harry was more like Ford. It seemed ridiculous. After all, her so-called husband had movie star looks, was just as wealthy if not more wealthy than Ford, and was around her age; but there was something about Ford. Maybe it was that he seemed to be a bit more human, he understood her, and while he wasn't as conventionally as attractive as Harry, in a way she thought he was better looking.
"I'm not being ridiculous," Emma said. "You're everything I wish Harry was."
"Emma."
"No, Ford, listen."
"I am listening, but you're being delusional. You wouldn't want Harry to be anything like me."
Emma didn't try to counter the argument with words; in hindsight that's what she should've done but instead she did something she hadn't done in years to anyone—she kissed Ford. The alcohol, she guessed, gave her the courage to do it.
For so many years, the thought of kissing someone had scared her, repulsed her, but somehow all those thoughts were gone as she made contact with Ford's lips. She forgot how good kissing could feel and why Ford had not exactly been expecting her to kiss him once her lips met his, he was a more than willing partner, Emma thought, as she felt his tongue touch her lips. Opening her mouth, she let him in and was completely swept up by the moment until he broke away.
"Emma."
"No," She said. "No, no, talk. I want you, Ford."
He rolled his eyes. "You've had one too many beers. And you'll hate yourself for kissing an old man in the morning."
She laughed as he walked her towards her room, "You're hardly old."
Though, he was right about her being slightly tipsy. Maybe it wasn't tipsy from the alcohol though, but something else. Something she couldn't pinpoint. Like, a realization.
"I'm very old, love." He said, "Old enough to be your father and then some."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Really, Ford. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that kiss."
"I did, He said as he opened the door to her hotel room. "But your married."
"Oh, screw that." She said as she pulled him into her room kicking the door shut with her boots.
"Emma."
"Please," She said. "Please, Ford. I know you want to."
"It's not a matter of want, you're drunk and I don't want you to do anything you'll regret."
"I only had three maybe four beers." She said, "Hardly drunk. And I know you want me from that kiss. I want you too."
"You barely know me," He said though Emma knew the way that he was looking at her he was considering her offer.
An offer, that she was sort of finding a bit odd that she was actually making. Then again, maybe it wasn't that odd. She did like Ford, and there had been something about that kiss. Something about that kiss that made her want more.
"We've known each other for ten years,' She said. "You're my lawyer and my friend."
"Exactly," He said tried to pull away. "We shouldn't ruin a good friendship and working relationship."
"But that kiss," Emma said. "I—I haven't felt that way in years."
"I haven't too," The man admitted looking at Emma..
"Then why," Emma said. "I want you Ford, and I think you want me?"
"You're married," He said again.
"You and I know it's just a charade." She snapped.
"Just a charade," He said before he grabbed Emma and started kissing her again.
This time, he was the one in control and was a little forceful at first and it didn't end with just kissing. Clothing came off. Emma couldn't recall who was pulling off what. She just knew that before it was said and done, they were both naked and in bed with each other.
He wasn't what she was expecting; not that she had been expecting anything with him and honestly she hadn't had much time to analyze the situation as she and him made love. If she did, she might've stopped. But the last thing she wanted to do was stop. And it seemed that Ford was the same way as he touched her in ways that she hadn't thought about being touched in years.
Emma couldn't help but feel oddly blissful when it was over, when she wrapped her arms around his chest and fell asleep for the first time in days.
When she woke up though, she thought he'd be gone. He wasn't. He still asleep, wrapped up into her. She peered down at him, it was odd looking at him asleep Ford looked decades younger. Although, she had saw him last night she hadn't studied him and was able to see things that she hadn't saw before, like the scar on his leg.
Looking at it, Emma couldn't help but feel compelled to touch it which caused Ford to apparently wake up since he said, "Oh, that."
"It's a pretty deep scar." She said trying to turn the conversation for the "Oh crap, we got drunk and slept together" conversation.
Ford sighed heavily. "It's an old wound, doesn't bother me much now."
"Well, it looks like it hurts." Emma said. "And you look upset about it."
"I'm not upset about it, love. Honestly, I'm surprise you're still here. I thought you'd bolt when you woke up sober to find yourself in bed with me."
"I didn't sleep with you because you were drunk," She said. It was true, being drunk might've caused her to have the ability to pull his clothes off without losing her nerve. But she had wanted to sleep with him for quite awhile; she was just now admitting it.
"Love, it will never work out between us."
"Why not?" Emma said, "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy last night?"
He sighed heavily. "That's not it, Emma. It's—well, there's the custody case and you're married. Charade it might be."
She rolled her eyes, "No one has to know about this."
"You really think we can continue this with Regina and all her spies snooping around us."
"We don't have to do this in Storybrooke." Emma stated.
He frowned for a moment before he said, "I don't like it."
"You don't like being with me."
"No," He said. "I don't like hiding being with you. If we do this, love, I want to do this right."
She sighed heavily "So you did enjoy this."
"Obviously, love." He said rolling his eyes. "I've—I've wanted you for a long time. Not that I thought it would actually happen"
Emma was sort of taken aback for a minute, before she asked. "Why?"
He gave her a look.
"Really," She said. "Why?"
"Because Emma," He said. "You deserve better than me."
She shook her head.
"You didn't know me in the past," He said. "You can ask Regina, Graham Cracker, any of them will tell you that I'm a ruthless bastard. I don't usually do relationships."
"You did one with Lacey." She inwardly grimacing that she had to mention his dead wife's name when they were in bed together. However, she wanted to win the argument—it was the lawyer in her.
He rolled his eyes. "That really kills the mood, Emma."
"You keep mentioning Harry." She countered.
"That's different." He said.
She frowned, though he did have a point. He had actually cared about Lacey, she really didn't give shit about Harry.
"It's relevant to what you're saying though, you have done relationships in the past."
"Not one with my client, and not one as complicated as this."
She frowned, "So, if I wasn't your client then—"
"No." He said, "It's just one of the reasons that things between us would never work out."
Emma frowned, "Last night was good though."
"Spectacular," Ford said. "I'll agree to that, but like you said, Emma, you aren't cut out for a relationship and neither am I. And I do like our friendship."
"So do I," Emma said with a frown. "But I—we don't have to make things complicate. It could just be casual."
She stopped not sure what to add to that. And for that matter, she didn't really want things to be casual. She instantly frowned thinking she was being ridiculous; Emma Swan was not a girl for relationships. She had plenty opportunities for a relationship in the past ten years, and she never took them. But here she was in a bed with Ford Gold, of all people, and she wanted what. A relationship? No, no, she wasn't the type for relationships, but whatever this was it wasn't just sex.
But that's not what Ford thought. "So, you just want to use me as your fuck buddy? Like I told you, if we're going to do this it's not going to be the whole 'friends with benefits' thing."
Emma gave him a weird look. "Ford, you were the one who said you didn't want to have a relationship. I'm just saying, I like having sex with you, I like your company. But I totally understand the not having a relationship thing, we both admit its not a forte of ours. Like I said, we could just keep things casual."
He frowned getting up, "No. No. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have let my guard down last night. I shouldn't have fucked up."
"I'm glad you did," Emma said.
"It just makes a bigger mess of the situation that is already messy enough," He said.
"Ford," She started to say but lost herself for words.
He shook his head. "I'm not doing this. I want you Emma, but I will not sneak around to be with you. And you and I both know it would never work, way too many complications."
She frowned, he was right. It was irresponsible that they had ended up sleeping together last night, but something about the experience. Something about it had been so sweet, so not what she had expected.
Maybe it was because she hadn't had sex in so long, Emma thought. Or from really when she could remember. Obviously, she had slept with Harry once upon a time, but she couldn't remember it. And for years she had nightmares about Ralph Miller touching her. The other experience she had remembered had been fooling around—not quite getting to that level of intimacy—when she was a teen. And the boys she had been with were a bit handsy at best.
"Emma, you know I'm right."
She bit her lip before she said. "It felt so good though."
He smiled, "It did, but it wouldn't do any good for us to be together, at least not now. Too many complications. Besides, who knows you might remember Harry and want to get back together with him."
Emma rolled her eyes, "Now, you really are killing the mood. The last thing I want Ford is to be in Harry Potter's bed. I can guarantee you that's never, ever, going to happen."
"Be that as it be, this whatever it is, is going to have to stop until we get your son's custody settled."
Emma frowned, "So then, we'll forget this happened for now."
"I don't think we can actually forget, love." He said, "So we'll have to make do with pretending on forgetting."
Emma nodded, but oddly enough a part of her felt crushed.