Together [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #6]

6 - The Other Shoe

At the pawnshop, Mr Gold was in front of a chess set when David walked in.

"Hello, Sheriff. Thought you would be on patrol right now," Mr Gold said.

"Where'd you get this?" David held up the coin the Evil Queen took from Mr Gold and he handed it to Mr Gold, "This was my father's coin. I need to know if his death was really an accident. So, what do you say we skip right to the part where you offer me a deal?" David said.

"Well, I do like candour. Almost as much as I like deals. So... Yes, the coin was mine for a time. And lucky you... I'm a stickler for records," Mr Gold pulled out an index card with information of the coin on, "Here we are," Mr Gold said.

"Name your price," David said.

"Now you're talking. But I must warn you, the more desperate the man, the higher price, and you seem... Quite desperate. So, I'll have to ask you. How badly do you want a deal?" Mr Gold said.

Flashback

At the manor, the day after the ball and Cinderella was up in her room in the attic. She was looking at her glass slipped then Gus, back as a mouse, crawled up on her nightstand and squeak as he was walking over to the box on the table.

"Gus, what are you doing?" She opened the box and grabbed the key, "Right! Mother's key. She said it was magic. Maybe..." Cinderella said as she got up, walked over to the wardrobe and opened it with the key then a portal opened.

Clorinda walked in, "What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm leaving," Cinderella said.

"No!" Clorinda ran over and shut the wardrobe, "YOu can't leave," Clorinda said.

"What do you care?! When you marry the Prince, you won't need me anymore," Cinderella said.

"No, no, no, you have got this all wrong. The Prince loves you," Clorinda said.

"What?" Cinderella said.

Clorinda saw the glass slipper in her hand, "You're the girl in the glass slippers. He's out there right now searching the entire kingdom for you," Clorinda said.

"You're making fun of me again. I saw him give you that rose," Cinderella said.

"It's because I'm getting married, but not to the Prince. To his footman, Jacob. The Prince was only passing along a message," Clorinda said.

"The footman? But... You were so cruel to him," Cinderella said.

"Mother would never let me marry a footman. And so I... Put on an act. Like I've done most of my life. I am so sorry, Ella. For everything. But we have both been her prisoner. And tonight, I can finally escape," Clorinda said as she grabbed a pair of shoes from a trunk.

"Where are you going?" Cinderella asked.

"I'm going to meet Jacob at the guard tower at the Prince's castle, and we are gonna ride far away and start a little farm together," Cinderella chuckled softly," And I am never coming back," Clorinda said.

"You know your mother will hunt you down where you go. I have an idea," Cinderella said as she held up the key.

End of Flashback